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Report 



ON 



Operations of United States 
Relief Commission ^ea 
in Europe 



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I 



WASHINGTON 

1914 



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0. OF 0, 

JAM 14 1915 



1 



War Department, 
Office of the Assistant Secretary, 

Washington, D. C, October 14, WI4. 
From : The Assistant Secretary of War . 
To : The Secretary of War. 
Subject: Report on operations of United States Relief Commission 

in Europe. 

The natural result of the outbreak of the European conflagration 
was the stranding of 125,000 American tourists, students, and resi- 
dents sojourning abroad!") The transatlantic lines were paralyzed, their 
ships either being taken by their respective Governments for military 
purposes or kept in port by the fear of capture by ships of war. The 
credit system of Europe collapsed. In some countries moratoriums 
were instituted. In others the practical results were the same. 
Holders of the best collateral — letters of credit, travelers' cheques, 
etc. — could not realize thereon. Railroads were given over entirely 
to military operations. One could not move, could not get money, 
often was dependent for food and shelter upon a landlord extending 
credit. And, finally, there seemed no prospect of the early release 
for commercial purposes of any great fraction of European shipping. 
And the United States had no ships! Well was there a degree of 
consternation among our stranded citizens. Natural that their plaint 
should cross the Atlantic arid engage the attention of the American 
public and the American Government. 

The immediate comprehension of the seriousness of the situation 
and the necessity for large and generous action is a credit to the 
people and the Government. Instantly the President laid the prob- 
lem before Congress with his recommendation of an appropriation. 
Immediately Congress responded with the passage of the following 
joint resolution appropriating $2,500,000 for the " relief, protection, 
and transportation of American citizens " : 



c 



II. J. Res. 314. 

For the relief, protection, and transportation of American citizens in Europe, and for 

other purposes. } 

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of 
America in Congress assembled, That for the relief, protection, and transporta- 
tion of American citizens and for personal services, rent, and other expenses 
which may be incurred in the District of Columbia or elsewhere in connection 
with or growing out of the existing political disturbance in Europe, there is 
appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the 
sum of $2,500,000, to be expended at the discretion of the President : Provided, 
That American citizens to whom relief is extended or transportation is fur- 
nished hereunder shall pay to or reimburse the United States all reasonable ex- 
penses so incurred, respectively, on their account, if financially able to do so. 
In the execution of the provisions hereof, the President is authorized to employ 



Z REPORT ON EELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

officers, employees, and vessels of the United States and use any supplies of the 
naval or military establishments, and to charter and employ any vessels that 
may be required. 

A detailed statement of all expenditures hereunder and under the appropri- 
ations of $250,000 made in the joint resolution approved August 3, 1914, and of 
all amounts reimbursed to the United States of such expenditures shall be 
made to Congress on or before the beginning of its next regular session. 

Passed the House of Representatives August 5, 1914. 

Attest : , 



\ 



Clerk. 



Straightway were plans crystallized to extend the relief made 
possible by the joint resolution, and at 10.20 p. m. of August 6, 1914, 
but two days after the initiation of a state of war between Great 
Britain and Germany, the U. S. S. Tennessee sailed from New York 
with $3,000,000 of private bankers' gold, $1,500,000 gold coin from 
the above-mentioned appropriation; 24 officers of the Army; officers 
of the Navy and Marine Corps in addition to the Tennessee's crew ; 
5 bankers, representatives of the banking interests sending the pri- 
vately owned gold; 5 representatives of the Treasury Department; 
a diplomatic advisor from the State Department; the national di- 
rector of the American Red Cross and his secretary ; 8 War Depart- 
ment clerks and a messenger. The seemingly heterogeneous con- 
stitution of the party really contains the underlying principle re- 
sponsible for any success that may have attended the undertaking — 
cooperation of all agencies, governmental and civic, in a common 
undertaking — State^ Treasury, War, NaA^y, and Red Cross, each with 
a finger in the pie.) But the five fingers, after the shortest associa- 
tion, became a well coordinated hand, and it is the greatest gratifica- 
tion to state that from the very first none of the fingers got crossed. 

It was well that the Tennessee took 10 days to get to Falmouth, 
England. A lesser time would not have afforded the proper oppor- 
tunity for contemplating the scope of our problem and improvising 
ways and means and regulations for meeting it. fin the first place, 
this relief measure was to be a matter of business, not a charity, and 
the United States was to be reimbursed as far as possible. Then it was 
necessary to erect a machinery of reimbursement simultaneously 
with the creation of a system of disbursement. Where citizens 
possessed suitable instruments of credit, for the time impossible of 
being realized upon, security must be taken against them to protect 
the Government. Travelers' checks and letters of credit issued by 
scores of institutions must be dealt with. It must be admitted that 
the ignorance of the members of the United States Relief Commis- 
sion (that is what we called ourselves for lack of any given name) 
upon matters of international exchange was considerable. The 
travelers checks of what firms were to be accepted without question? 
What institutions possessed the character to make their letters of 
credit acceptable without question? To understand the technical 
routine of a letter of credit transaction? The details of promissory 
notes and bills of exchange? These and other financial details at 
first perplexed our minds. What system of accounting was to be 
installed? What evidence of nationality was to be required of those 
seeking assistance ? We all went to school for 10 days, studied inter- 
national exchange under Mr. Gibson, the able and public-spirited 
banker, and his efficient colleagues who accompanied us, learned some- 
thing of the law of citizenship and the organization of the Diplo- 



T 

REPORT ON RELIEF OP AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 3 

matic and Consular Services from Mr. Dodge, the accomplished ex- 
minister to Panama, and familiarized ourselves with the simple and 
conclusive system of accounting devised by Mr. Wilmeth, the ex- 
ceptionally able Chief Clerk of the Treasury Department. Out of 
study and conference grew the idea of compiling a comprehensive 
set of regulations for the guidance of all concerned. A committee 
was appointed consisting of Mr. H. Perceval Dodge, special repre- 
sentative of the State Department ; Mr. James L. Wilmeth, official 
representative of the Treasury Department ; Mr. Ernest P. Bicknell, 
National Director of the American National Red Cross; Lieut. Col. 
Henry T. Allen, United States Army ; Mr. H. D. Gibson, vice presi- 
dent Liberty National Bank, New York City; and Maj. James A. 
Logan, jr., United States Army. The result was the Manual of 
Instructions found in the appendix and marked "Appendix A." 
The excellence of the work done on this manual is testified by the 
manifest satisfaction it gave in actual practice. Y 

The Tennessee arrived at Falmouth, England, Sunday evening, 
August 16, at 7.45 p. m. With a party of 18 I took a special car to 
Plymouth, where we got a special Pullman on the midnight train to 
London. Maj. D. W. Ketcham and Capt. H. F. Dalton were directed 
to come to London the following morning with $400,000 in gold, 
$300,000 consigned to the American ambassador at London, Hon. 
Walter Hines Page, and $100,000 to be kept by Maj. Ketcham and 
Capt. Dalton for relief work. Later the ambassador put the admin- 
istration of the entire fund in the hands of Maj. Ketcham and his 
©rganization. \ 

tUpon arriving in London Monday morning, conference with the / 
ambassador and reading the data collected by our military attaches 
supplied an accurate impression of the situation. Thousands of 
Americans were pouring into England from the Continent/^ Those 
having reservations on German liners were without any reserved pas- 
sage home. £ Thousands of others were seemingly marooned on the 
Continent, unable to obtain transportation through to shipping ports. 
Citizen relief committees had been organized under the supervision 
of the American ambassador and were handling the problem of relief 
in England with zeal and efficiency /VMaj. D. W. Ketcham and Capt. 
H. F. Dalton were detailed to the relief work in England and plans 
were effected to make an immediate distribution of officers among the 
points in Europe where most needed. Twenty-five thousand dollars 
was turned over to Hon. Joseph E. Willard, ambassador to Spain, 
who had accompanied us to England on the Tennessee. Capt. R. R. 
Ralston was directed to accompany Ambassador Willard to France 
as far as Paris, where he should report to Ambassador Herrick. Maj. 
C. A. Hedekin and Capts. Le V. Coleman, L. C. Brintori, and G. Sevier 
were dispatched to Cherbourg on the U. S. S. North Carolina, Capt. 
Oman commanding, with $200,000 in gold. /The North Carolina had^ 
been ordered to follow the Tennessee to Europe to assist in the work! 
of the expedition. Arrangements were made with Ambassador Page 1 
to effect a transfer of $25,000 to the credit of Ambassador Penfield at I 
Vienna for the relief of American citizens by depositing a similar sum 
with Ambassador Page, to be used for the relief of Austrian citizens 
in England, whose interests were in the care of our ambassador. 
Upon my depositing the $25,000 with Ambassador Page, the Austrian 



4 REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

Government turned over a similar sum to Ambassador Penfield in 
Vienna^ 

(With the remainder of the officers and the gold, I left Falmouth ^ 
for the Hook of Holland on the Tennessee Thursday, August 20^ 
The Tennessee dropped anchor just beyond the 3-mile limit, outside 
the Hook of Holland, at 4.40 p. m., Friday, August 21. The Dutch 
cruiser N ordbrabrandt met us there with orders that we should not 
come within the territorial waters of Holland, as the Dutch neutral- 
ity proclamation prohibited ships of war coming within her terri- 
torial waters. Commander Surie, of the Dutch Navy, with Capt. 
. Ment and Lieut. Ment, officers of the Dutch Arnry, boarded the Ten- 
I nessee and accompanied us to The Hague./ Two hundred thousand 
dollars in gold was put ashore?\ 

C It was found that there were about 2,000 Americans in Holland 
awaiting transportation to America by the Holland-America Line 
and via England. Special trains had come in from Berlin and 
Munich, and it seemed that Holland was the normal point of egress 
for all Americans coming from Germany. It was determined to 
direct our efforts to getting Americans out of Germany and perhaps 
even from Austria into Holland, where we could send them home 
direct or through England. As was everywhere the case, the Ameri- 
can legation had been working under a tremendous load. The women 
of the family even, with a large force of volunteers, had been labor- 
ing from morning until midnight assisting their compatriots.j Dr. 
Van Dyke, our minister at The Hague, had been able to arrange with 
the Dutch banks to cash American letters of credit and travelers' 
checks to reasonable amounts by indorsing the paper himself. (Capt. 
A. H. Sunderland and Capt. E. D. Ardery were detailed to take over 
the transportation problem, and $50,000 was left with them. By the 
courtesy of the Dutch Government we were offered a special train to 
the German border.^ Capt. B. Enochs and Mr. Winslow, private sec- 
retary to Hon. James W. Gerard, the American ambassador to Ger- 
many, had accompanied a special train of Americans from Berlin to 
Holland' and were of great assistance in arranging the details of 
transportation for us. Both Capt. Enochs and Mr. Winslow deserve 
great credit for their management of the special trains that had been 
sent from Berlin to Holland before our arrival. At Bentheim we 
were taken over by the German railroad authorities. 
/By the courtesy of the Dutch and German Governments in supply - 
ing special trains for us, we were enabled to make the journey from 
The Hague to Berlin in 16 hoursAwhich is only five hours more than 
the regular running time of fasr through trains, whereas 32 hours 
was the best time made by trains since the beginning of hostilities. 
\ f We reached Berlin Sunday, August 23, carrying with us $150,000 
I in gold. The wisdom of our judgment in coining to Berlin was imme- 
diately established. The Americans in Berlin and all through Germany 
had been in a state of anxiety. Only a few had been able to get out of 
the country by train to Holland from Berlin and Munich during the 
period of mobilization. The American ambassador, Mr. Gerard, had 
done everything possible to organize assistance for Americans. He 
had got the banks to cash letters of credit and travelers' checks up to 
reasonable amounts and had secured the sending of two special trains 
with about 600 Americans to Holland and had arranged for two 
more/, With the approval of the ambassador, I called with my staff 



KEPOET ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 5 

upon the proper functionaries of the Imperial German Government, 
and by their extreme courtesy was promised a special train to Hol- 
land every day until the Americans should be got out of the country. 
Maj. J. A. Kyan, Capts. M. A. Cross and C. L. Fenton were directed 
to take over the relief and transportation work as fast as possible. 
They established themselves at the Kaiserhof, just a few doors from 
the embassy, and began to handle the situation. It is impossible for 
one who has not seen it to imagine the condition about the embassy 
in the early days of the war. Hundreds of Americans, uncertain 
and perplexed, besieged the interior and exterior of the embassy 
seeking information, advice, and assistance. But organization was 
immediately effected, order was brought out of confusion, and confi- 
dence restored. Similar situations had existed in London and Paris 
and were met with equal effectiveness. 

(Telegraphic orders were given to Capt. F. J. Miller at The Hague 
to bring another $100,000 to Berlin. I 

Telegraphic correspondence with the American ambassador at 
Vienna, Mr. Penfield, showed the need of our presence in Austria and 
in Hungary. 

On Tuesday evening, August 25, we left by special tram for 
Vienna, carrying $50,000 in gold: ) 

No official or personal courtesy was omitted by the German Gov- 
ernment, and the manner in which the officials of the Government 
turned aside amid the conduct of war to be of assistance to Americans 
desiring to return home elicited the gratitude of all concerned. 
/"On Wednesday morning, August 26, we reached Vienna, and were J 
met by police officials and the railroad director. Offices were imme- 
diately established at the Hotel Imperial and the machinery of the 
relief work set up. Incidentally it may be here mentioned that the 
hotels of Berlin and Vienna made substantial reductions in rates to 
traveling Americans to meet their embarrassed circumstances?) 
Clerks, messengers, and typewriters were assembled. Two extremely 
competent American women, Miss Nellie Bly, the journalist,^ and 
Mrs. Kreisler, the American wife of the noted violinist, Fritz Kreis- 
ler, came to the hotel and volunteered their services for relief work. 
Both these women, with their zeal, efficiency, and tact, rendered inval- 
uable service. Mrs. Kreisler's husband is serving with the Austrian 
Army at the front. 

(Capt. Cross was ordered to Budapest with $15,000 to cooperate i 
with the consul there in getting 2,000 Americans out of that place, j 
As in Germany and Holland, the officials of the Austrian Govern- 
ment were most courteous and kind in affording every facility in the 
way of special trains, etc., necessary to expedite our work in sending 
Americans out of the country. 

On Friday, August 28, 1 went to Budapest and endeavored to give 
impetus to the exodus of Americans from Hungary. Soon after 
arriving we were assured of the required special trains, for which 
contract was immediately made."\Special mention should be made 
of the courtesy and service of Mr. Von Pottere, of the Austrian for- 
eign office, who was attached to the commission during its stay in 
Austria. His knowledge of local conditions and local ways of doing 
business facilitated the execution of our purpose. 

Thus it will be seen that a chain of depots was established which 
would carry American citizens all the way from Hungary home. 



b EEPOET ON BELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

.Citizens would be gathered and dispatched on special trains, with 
railroad tickets and money where needed, to Vienna, where they 
would be received at the station by the representative of the depot 
there, cared for, provided with transportation and money where 
necessary, and sent by special trains to Berlin. Here they were 
taken over in turn and in a similar manner dispatched by special 
trains to Holland, where the officers on duty at that place would 
take them over and arrange for their transportation either direct 
to America by the Holland- America Line or via England, where 
most of them went, and were assisted home by the organization in 
London. 

On Monday night, August 31, we proceeded by special car to 
Switzerland, arriving in Geneva Wednesday night, September 2. 
It was found that most of the Americans desiring to leave had 
already gone either independently or on special trains arranged for 
and managed by Lieut. Col. Samuel Eeber, Maj. C. A* Hedekin, and 
the American consul at Geneva, Mr. Francis B. Keene.V 

Mr. Keene from the first had addressed himself unsparingly and 
efficiently to the assistance of Americans in arranging for transpor- 
tation, etc. He deserves credit for his services. 

Finding the Swiss situation so well in hand we hastened to Paris 
via Lyons, at which place we were met and assisted on our journey 
by Vice Consul John I. Ernster, who also has rendered most credit- 
able service in facilitating the journeys of traveling Americans. 

On Friday, September 4, we arrived in Paris. The American am- 
bassador, Hon. Myron T. Herrick, had things well in hand. He had 
a large number of Army officers gathered in Paris to assist him in 
his work. The young officers who were on duty with the French 
regiments, several officers who were on leave when the war com- 
menced, and Maj. Hedekin, with Capts. Ralston, Brinton, and Cole- 
man, of the Relief Commission, all joined to render what support 
they could to the efficient management of the embassy. Special 
trains were run to Havre, where transportation was obtained to 
England. Many Americans left also direct to the United States 
on the French lines. 

On account of the failure for the moment of commercial transpor- 
tation the U. S. S. Tennessee made two trips from Havre to Wey- 
mouth, England, carrying approximately 225 Americans each trip. 

It is interesting to note that the commission rendered assistance 
to the citizens of South American countries on the same basis as to 
American citizens except in the matter of advancing funds. Many 
citizens of South American countries traveled in the special trains 
arranged for Americans. 

As long as it seemed that the remaining representatives of the 
commission might be of service to the ambassador in the emergency 
in which he found himself the commission remained in Paris, but 
as the emergency ceased to exist we proceeded to England via the 
Tennessee from Havre, arriving at Weymouth the evening of Tues- 
day, September 15. 

( Capt. G. Sevier and Lieuts. J. G. Quekemeyer and C. S. Hoyt had 
been directed to proceed to Italy with $50,000, where they rendered 
efficient service in assisting and transporting Americans home. N In 
Italy, as everywhere, the Government was courteous and helpful. 



REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 7 

I Capt. S. J. Bayard Scliindel, Capt. William M. Colvin, and Lieut. 
F. H. Phipps, jr., were dispatched to Norway, Sweden, Denmark, 
and Russia to perform similar service in those countries, which they 
did with efficiency and good results. Capt. R. H. Williams was in 
turn sent to Antwerp and to Turkey for relief work, carrying to the 
latter place $150,000 for the relief of American citizens. J 
( As by this time most of the Americans had left the Continent and 
arrangements had been made for those in England to get home, it 
was determined to draw in the officers from the Continent prepara- 
tory to sailing. Since the 6th of August approximately 100,000 
Americans had sailed from England to America. I believe that it 
can be said of a very few of these that they- have not been directly or 
indirectly assisted by the presence of this commission in Europe^ 
(Two officers have been left at The Hague, Holland, and one in 
London to tie up the loose ends of the work. The remainder of the 
personnel returned to America on October 3. ) 

There can be no question that the action of the Government in dis- 
patching this commission was essential and wise. The mere de- 
parture of the Tennessee with the public and private gold and the 
commission of officers aboard had a psychological effect of large im- 
port in quieting the minds of Americans in Europe. From the testi- 
mony of diplomatic and consular representatives and many private 
citizens it is established that the mere presence of the officers in the 
localities to which they went calmed and encouraged. 

The emergency that called this commission into being also afforded 
a splendid example of the capacity of the ordinary American citizen 
to organize efficiently for self-help. 

Again, it may be repeated that a creditable example was given of 
the efficient coordination and cooperation of the different depart- 
ments of the Government in a common enterprise. 

In the distribution of praise it is hard to say sufficient without 
being fatuous. To enumerate the hundreds who have given unstint- 
edly of their time and energy without recompense would expand this 
narrative beyond reasonable limits. In naming some specifically 
no invidious comparison is made with those unnamed. Failure to 
name many will be due to the restricted movements of the writer of 
this report, who found it impossible to get to all the centers of 
activity. > . 

I. A great meed of credit and admiration is due to the diplomatic 
and consular representatives and their assistants, both official and 
volunteer, upon whom fell the original burden of meeting the 
emergency in its inception. Standing out, both by reason of their 
official eminence and personal powers, are the American .ambassadors, 
respectively, of the Court of St. James, to Germany, and to France, 
the honorable Walter Hines Page, Hon. James W. Gerard, and Hon. 
Myron T. Herrick. With the interests of nearly all the belligerent 
powers left in their hands and with the vexing problems growing out 
of the stranding of so many of their compatriots in Europe after 
the outbreak of the war, these three men rendered high public service, 
entitling them to the admiration and gratitude of their fellow 
countrymen. The following-named officers of the Consular Service 
are mentioned, because their efficient and ungrudging service hap- 
pened to come under our special observation : 



8 EEPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

Francis B. Keene, Esq., American consul at Geneva. 

Dr. J. E. Jones, consul general at Genoa. 

F. T. F. Dumont, Esq., American consul at Florence. 

F. E. Mallett, Esq., American vice consul general at Budapest. 

John N. McCunn, Esq., American consul at Glasgow. 

Le Roy Webber, Esq., American vice consul at Glasgow. 

Frederick Middleton, Esq., American deputy consul at Glasgow. 

B. M. Rasmusen, Esq., American consul at Bergen. 

Charles L. Hoover, Esq., American consul at Carlsbad. 

Ernest L. Harris, Esq., consul general at Stockholm. 

II. To the citizens of the various European cities and to the Amer- 
ican residents therein who waited for nothing but the prompting of 
their own initiative to organize and supervise the many citizens' 
relief committees that rendered such splendid service. 

III. The five American bankers, Messrs. H. D. Gibson, John P. 
Grier, H. W. Lewis, A. R. Jones, and Eliot Tuckerman, who accom- 
panied the commission to Europe on the Tennessee and gave so un- 
sparingly of their time and strength in instructing its members in 
the technicalities of international exchange so necessary to be under- 
stood in the work that was to be done, particularly Mr. Gibson, who 
was unceasing in his assistance and counsel to us. 

IV. Mr. E. P. Bicknell. national director of the American National 
Red Cross, whose good judgment, personality, and great experience 
in emergencies were of the greatest assistance. 

V. Mr. H. Perceval Dodge, the accomplished ex-minister from 
the United States to Panama, whose broad experience and intimate 
knowledge of diplomatic matters guided us aright not only in our 
cooperation with the American diplomatic and consular representa- 
tives but in our dealings with foreign governments. 

VI. Mr. Wilmeth, the chief clerk of the Treasury Department, 
who, by adding to his great knowledge of fiscal matters a quick per- 
ception and adaptability in novel situations, made the financial oper- 
ations of the commission both correct and facile. 

VII. The officers of the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps, who 
mastered novel conditions with perseverance and effectiveness, who 
were tireless, patient, and resourceful under all circumstances, and 
who. as always, handled large sums of money with economy and 
fidelity. The great reservoir of character and efficiency in our land 
and naval services, always ready to be called on in emergency, merit 
to be appreciated to the full by the American people. 

VIII. The Boy Scout organizations of the different countries, 
whose members rendered real service in volunteering to do messenger 
work about the headquarters of the different relief committees. 

IX. The War Department clerks, who bore the burden of the 
great amount of clerical labor incidental to the work of the commis- 
sion. 

X. The clerks of the Treasury Department, who attended to the 
many details connected with the financial operations of the com- 
mission. 

Detailed information about the work in the different countries 
can be found in the appended reports of the chiefs of parties. 

t' Henry Breckinridge. 



APPENDIX A. 



MANUAL OF INSTRUCTIONS FOR RELIEF WORK. 



Diplomatic and Consular List. 

General Orders, No. 3. Augtjst 8, 1914. 
[H. J. Res. No. 314.] 

Office of the Special Commissioner of the 

United States, U. S. S. Tennessee, 

At sea, August 11, 1914. 
The following Manual of Instructions for Relief Work, prepared 
by a committee composed of Mr. H. Perceval Dodge, special repre- 
sentative of the State Department; Mr. James L. Wilmeth, official 
representative of the Treasury Department; Mr. Ernest P. Bicknel, 
national director of the American National Red Cross; Lieut. Col. 
Henry T. Allen, United States Army ; Mr. H. D. Gibson, vice presi- 
dent Liberty National Bank, of New York City; and Maj. James A. 
Logan, jr., United States Army, is published for the information and 
guidance of all concerned. 
Bv direction of — 

Henry Breckinridge, 
Assistant /Secretary of War and Special 

Commissioner of the United States. 

Henry T. Allen, 
Lieutenant Colonel, General Staff. 
Official: 

Jas. A. Logan, Jr., 

Major, Quartermaster Corps, Adjutant. 



MANUAL OF INSTRUCTIONS FOR RELIEF WORK. 

The general purposes of this expedition and the general line of action to be 
followed by relief parties on shore are given in General Orders, No. 2, dated 
August 8, 1914, as follows : 

" The purpose of this expedition is the aiding and relief of Americans in 
Europe. The proportions and difficulties of the task will depend upon circum- 
stances and conditions, which can not now be predicted with accuracy. Our 
plans, so far as they can be made, must be predicated upon an assumed condi- 
tion of great seriousness and difficulty. If the conditions are as serious and the 
task as difficult as we must plan for in order to be forearmed, then a very 
trying situation will perforce be presented. It is needless for me to say that 
into the performance of the task we carry the good name of the Army. We 
and the Army which we represent will be judged not by the inadequate facili- 
ties that we will have at our disposal, but by the results that are accomplished. 



10 EEPOET ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

" The people with whom we shall deal will have been subjected to great 
uncertainty, mental anxiety, and perhaps physical discomfort and hardship. 
For the most part, they will be a class of people used to the greatest comfort 
of living. It is likely that much nervousness, impatience, and irritability will 
be encountered. Our concern is that no provocation be permitted to ruffle our 
patience. Everyone must be treated with patience, toleration, and infinite con- 
sideration. It is a matter of supererogation to call this to the attention of the 
body of officers, some of whom, at least, took part in such enterprises as the 
San Francisco disaster, the Mississippi flood situation, and the reunion of aged 
veterans at Gettysburg. 

" By the time of our arrival in England Ave should have fairly accurate infor- 
mation as to the numbers, whereabouts, and condition of Americans in Europe. 
Also there should be at our disposal what neutral facilities are available for 
their transportation to America. If it is necessary to depend upon ships flying 
the American flag and not already in the trans-Atlantic trade, it is likely that 
it will be impossible to gather together and send from the United States a fleet 
of transports with capacity greater than 6,000 or 7,000 passengers at a trip. 
The 6 trans-Atlantic liners already flying the American flag should be able to 
take 6,000 at a trip. The rough estimates now in our possession show 20,000 
Americans in ports of Europe needing immediate transportation and 50,000 not 
yet congregated in the ports but desiring speedy transportation to America. 
Estimates of the entire number of Americans in Europe vary from 100,000 
to 150,000." 

Each transport chartered by the Government for relief work will be com- 
manded by a detailed quartermaster. 

Upon arrival in England specific plans of action will be formulated. Prob- 
ably groups of officers will be dispatched to different European ports by the 
U. S. S. Tennessee and the U. S. S. North Carolina, which is following us, and 
perhaps the U. S. S. Maine. These officers will carry funds for use in relief 
work and do everything possible to advise and care for the Americans at the 
places they visit, arranging for their transportation and acting as booking 
agents for any chartered Government vessels. 

" For the present it will suffice to point out a few general principles that 
should govern : 

" Great caution should be exercised in the disbursement of funds. A detailed 
plan of receipt and disbursement will later be published. Most of the Ameri- 
cans probably will possess instruments of credit of some sort. Where abso- 
lutely necessary, funds will be advanced on these credits, after taking evidences 
of indebtedness to the United States upon forms hereafter to be designed. 
Under no conditions will funds be advanced according to the desires of the 
drawers, but according to their absolute necessities. To those in temporary 
destitution, who possess no letters of credit or other credit instruments or funds, 
assistance will be extended in specific goods and kind rather than in cash. 
Some form of receipt or evidence of indebtedness to the United States, here- 
after to be formulated, will in every case be taken from such destitute person . 
to whom assistance is rendered. If it is absolutely necessary to advance cash 
to such persons, of course a similar instrument of indebtedness will be taken. 

" Further instructions will be given." 

The following instructions are issued in amplification of the instructions 
contained in the above orders : 

For convenience of arrangement, these instructions will be grouped under 
three general heads, i. e., "Administration," " Conduct of parties," and " Fiscal 
affairs." 

Administration. 

It is desired to impress upon all engaged in relief work the underlying prin- 
ciples of all instructions contained in this manual. 

1. Relief can be extended only to American citizens. 

2. Relief in kind — that is to say, meals, lodging, rail and steamer tickets, 
etc. — will be adopted as the usual method for extending relief. Only in an 
unusual case will relief be extended by cash advances. 

3. In each and every case, whether or not the relief extended is in kind or 
in cash, one or another of the instruments of credit referred to herein (see 
"Fiscal affairs"), covering the full value of such relief or advance of cash, 
will be executed by the beneficiary and retained by the disbursing officer. 

Relief party. — Relief parties consisting each of one chief, one officer desig- 
nated " special disbursing agent," together with the necessary number of 



REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMEEICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 11 

officers assigned as assistants, will be put ashore at certain points hereafter to 
be selected and will be assigned certain zones in which they are to operate. 
The function of relief parties is to supply the immediate necessities to American 
citizens and to facilitate their return to America as outlined in the foregoing 
order. Detailed instructions will be given the chiefs of parties as to the 
specific work they will be expected to accomplish or as to the general line of 
action they are to follow. They in turn will communicate these instructions 
to their subordinates. 

It is impossible to foresee all the situations that may arise, and in conse- 
quence detailed regulations can not be formulated to meet all conditions. 
Chiefs of parties and their subordinate officers are hereby given the greatest 
possible freedom of action in all matters, and in turn they are expected to 
show by their actions under this general authority sound judgment in handling 
situations as they arise. 

In addition to the foregoing general authorization and to such specific authori- 
zation as may be included in their detailed instructions, chiefs of parties are 
authorized to direct such travel of their party as is necessary, to authorize the 
employment of civilian help, and to authorize the purchase of supplies of all 
kinds, as well as the engagement of services, etc. 

It is believed that the best plan to be followed is for the chief of party to 
arrange with the consul general or consul at the port of debarkation to supply 
him with office accommodations for his headquarters and for the office of his 
special disbursing agent. If the safety of the funds is assured in such office, 
they should be kept at the consulate; otherwise arrangements should be made 
for the safety of the funds either in the vaults of some well-known bank or 
express company. Government money will not be turned over to banks and ex- 
press companies, but will simply be stored for safe-keeping in these institutions' 
safety deposit vaults or safes. It appears needless to impress upon chiefs of 
parties or other officers responsible for Government funds the necessity of safe- 
guarding moneys which are intrusted to them. 

The general plan for the care and transportation of Americans to the home 
country will be communicated individually to chiefs of parties. It may develop 
that from certain points arrangements can be made either by the advance of 
funds or by the purchase of rail and water tickets to send small numbers of 
Americans directly to the home country. On the other hand, due to the great 
number of Americans at some points, relief parties, with the cooperation of the 
consular and diplomatic service, must themselves make all arrangements for 
subsistence and lodging at one or more central points and subsequently trans- 
port them by rail (special train, if necessary) to a port of embarkation, when 
arrangements have already been made to have steamers available, for their 
movement to the home country. It is needless to impress upon chiefs of parties 
the inadvlsability of assembling large numbers of people at, for example, a 
small shipping town like Cherbourg, before arrangements have been made to 
have steamers available at that point to take them aboard. In all probability 
they could _be much more economically and comfortably handled if assembled 
at Paris and subsequently moved to Cherbourg by special train and put at once 
on board ships. 

Whenever possible, advantage will be taken of the services of suitable Ameri- 
cans in Europe, and they will be requested by chiefs of parties to organize 
relief committees to aid in taking care of the Americans. In all probability 
many such committees have already been formed, which committees will have 
in hand information of the utmost importance. In addition their efforts, if 
properly directed, will relieve the Army officers of a vast amount of detail 
work. Diplomatic and consular officials will be consulted whenever possible 
with reference to the appointment of relief committees and with reference to the 
recognition of those already in existence. 

For the purpose of communication the instructions of the special commis- 
sioner will be sent care of the consul general or consul at the port where the 
relief party originally disembarked. It is the duty of the chief of party to 
arrange so that at all times such instructions will be promptly transmitted to 
him. In the absence of specific instructions or information as to the where- 
abouts of the special commissioner, telegrams and cables may be sent to him 
care of the American ambassador at London, England, or Paris, France. 

Sufficient funds to meet the needs of the situation pertaining to the appropria- 
tion "Relief of American citizens "will be advanced to the " special disbursing 
agent" of each party. A civilian clerk will be assigned each party. Should 
the situation so demand, chiefs of parties are authorized to detail any or all 



12 REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

of their assistants as " special disbursing agents " and to direct such transfers 
of funds as may be necessary. 

Conduct of Pabties. 

The character of the mission of relief parties is wholly humanitarian and 
in aid of American citizens, and their members will be provided with creden- 
tials clearly setting forth this character, which they will exhibit whenever 
necessary to the diplomatic and consular officials of the United States and the 
civil and military officials of the country in which they may be. Further, their 
mission will already have been brought to the knowledge of foreign Govern- 
ments, with a request that all proper civil and military authorities may properly 
be advised of it and directed to afford them such assistance as may be found 
possible. 

Relief parties will exercise care not to include among their effects any articles 
such as cameras, military books or maps, or arms, which might be objectionable 
to the Government in whose territory they may be. They may also, should 
officials of these Governments desire it, give them the fullest information regard- 
ing their mission. Regarding the wearing of uniform, they should consult and 
adopt the advice of the diplomatic representative in the absence of any instruc- 
tions from the special commissioner. 

Embassies and legations of the United States are situated at all European 
capitals, and consular officials reside in all principal towns. Relief parties will 
be furnished with a list of them. These officials have been instructed to assist 
relief parties in every way possible in their work, and these parties should 
immediately upon landing advise the embassy or legation, keeping it generally 
informed of their movements. While relief parties are solely under the author- 
ity of the special commissioner, it is expected that they will work in close coop- 
eration with the diplomatic and consular officials, seeking advice from them 
whenever necessary as, owing to their official position, they will best be able 
to advise. They will presumably be able to afford relief parties office room, 
clerical and interpreter assistance, and the use of their official cipher for confi- 
dential communication with the diplomatic representative or consuls. Relief 
parties will find it preferable to communicate through them with local officials. 
Should they consider it advisable to communicate with departments of the cen- 
tral administration (corresponding to the departments at Washington), they 
should address the diplomatic representative of the United States, requesting 
him to take the action desired. 

American and other foreign credentials are, strictly speaking, not recognized 
by foreign Governments unless duly viseed. For this purpose it will be well for 
members of relief parties to take the earliest opportunity to have their creden- 
tials visaed, preferably by the diplomatic representative and the foreign office 
of the country they are in. It will also be desirable, for the use of local officials 
who do not read English, for members of parties to have attached to their 
credentials a translation in the language of the country, certified to as correct 
by some authority of the country. Wherever possible members of relief parties 
will be provided with additional authorizations issued by the country they 
are in. 

In order that the mission of relief parties may accomplish the best results, 
it will be necessary for them to take all possible steps to advise American 
.citizens of it and of the assistance which they are prepared to render. As an aid 
toward this purpose, relief parties will be provided with copies of a circular in 
which this information is given. They should cause these circulars to be given 
general publicity, as by posting in the embassy or legation office, in consular 
offices, and in banks and hotels frequented by Americans. In France it would 
be well to have the circulars published in the Paris edition of the New York 
Herald. 

The mission of relief parties is only to American citizens, and it is of vital 
importance to its success that they should strictly limit assistance of any sort 
to them. Serious difficulties might be caused by any failure to observe this 
limitation. Accordingly in all cases before rendering assistance relief parties 
will convince themselves that the person requesting assistance is actually an 
American citizen. In determining this they will have at their disposal the 
assistance of the diplomatic and consular officials, who are authorized by the 
Department of State to pass upon such questions and who have full instructions 
from that department to guide them. 



REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 13 

It is probable tbat most American citizens will be found to be bearers of 
American passports or certificates of registration or of naturalization. These 
will assist relief parties in determining their citizenship. 

(1) Passports are of two kinds: Ordinary passports, which are only issued by 
the Secretary of State and are good for two years from the date of their issue, 
unless renewed upon their face, and " emergency passports," issued by diplomatic 
missions and a few consular officials. These are good for the time stated in 
them, but not for more than six months from the date of issue. All passports 
bear a description and the signature of the holder, who can therefore be readily 
identified. If the passport has not expired, the holder should be recognised as 
an American citizen. 

(2) Certificates of registration are issued to American citizens by all consular 
officials. It is the duty of every consul to do what he can to have every 
American residing within his consular district register in the consulate. Before 
allowing him to do so, however, the consul must assure himself that he is an 
American citizen, whether native or naturalized. Once registered, the consul 
issues a certificate of registration to him, which is good for two years. At the 
end of this time the holder must register again and obtain a new certificate or 
have his former one prolonged. Formerly, at all events, registration certificates 
bore neither the holder's signature nor any description. Care will therefore be 
necessary to determine whether the certificates are still effective and whether 
the bearer is the person to whom it was issded. 

(3) Certificates of naturalization (commonly called "citizen papers") are 
issued by the various courts granting naturalization. Care will be necessary 
with these to determine whether the bearer of the certificate is the person to 
whom it was issued, and if so whether he is still entitled to American protec- 
tion. Care should also be taken to determine that the document is actually a 
naturalization certificate and not a certificate of intention to become an Ameri- 
can citizen (commonly called "first paper "), which closely resembles it in 
general appearance. The latter certificates do not show citizenship. 

In all the foregoing classes of documents the documents themselves should be 
scrutinized to see that they are genuine and have not been altered. 

Mention has been made above of the question whether a person is still en- 
titled to American citizenship or protection. Whenever such a question is pre- 
sented members of relief parties should refer the matter to the diplomatic rep- 
resentative or the consul's determination, if practicable. For their informa- 
tion, however, the following brief statement, which is believed to be approxi- 
mately correct, as to the acquisition and loss of American citizenship is given : 

First. All persons born in the United States are American citizens by birth. 
Second. All persons duly naturalized in the United States are American citizens 
by naturalization; naturalization requires five years' residence in the United 
States. A declaration of intention to become an American citizen does not con- 
stitute naturalization. Third. All minor children of naturalized persons, if 
actually in the United States at the time of their parents' naturalization or at 
some time thereafter during their minority, are American citizens through the 
naturalization of their parents. Fourth. A foreign woman married to an 
American citizen becomes herself an American citizen. Conversely, an American 
woman married to a foreigner loses her American citizenship, but may resume 
it on the termination of her marriage by showing an intent to do so, accom- 
panied by her return to the United States. In the same way a foreign woman 
may resume her former nationality upon the termination of her marriage. 

American citizenship may be lost by express renunciation, requiring no for- 
mality of any kind; by naturalization in a foreign country, an implied re- 
nunciation; and by expatriation. Any American citizen who goes abroad with- 
out intent to return to the United States to live is considered to have ex- 
patriated himself. 

Largely in order to protect itself from further difficulties with foreign Gov- 
ernments caused by persons of military age becoming citizens merely to escape 
from military service, the Government of the United States has within the last 
few years issued more stringent rules regarding the loss to naturalized persons 
of the right to American protection. It is believed that the present rules pro- 
vide generally that naturalized American citizens lose their right to protection 
after two years, if they have returned to their country of origin, and after four 
years, if they have gone to a third country, unless they can show to the satis- 
faction of the diplomatic or consular officials that they are engaged in regular 
studies, or are missionaries, or represent American firms, or are engaged prac- 
tically wholly in exporting from the United States. 



14 REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

With native citizens the danger of foreign complications is less and the rules 
are less strict. A native citizen to retain protection and secure passports must, 
however, convince the diplomatic or consular officials that he has a bona fide 
intention of returning at some future time to the United States to live. 

As above mentioned, the foregoing statement is only believed to be approxi- 
mately correct, as the special commissioner has not at hand the State Depart- 
ment circulars upon the subject. These, however, will be readily accessible to 
relief parties at all diplomatic missions and consulates. 

Fiscal Affairs. 

The title of the appropriation carried by joint resolution No. 314, approved 
August 5, 1914, shall be " Relief of American citizens." All vouchers and ac- 
counts pertaining thereto will be styled accordingly. 

Officers making purchases or arranging transportation for American citizens 
hereunder will be expected to secure the best prices obtainable and to arrange 
for the most economical railroad or steamboat rates obtainable. 

For the purposes of this relief expedition, the U. S. S. Tennessee will be the 
depositary where all funds will be kept and from which moneys will be advanced 
under properly approved requisitions to the disbursing officers. 

Funds are not to be advanced by disbursing officers upon the demand or 
requisition of persons, but must be limited to the actual necessities of needy 
American citizens. 

Authenticated American citizens requiring assistance who are without tangi- 
ble evidence of credit of funds will be assisted in transportation, lodging, rail- 
road fare, and other necessary items of expense. 

Travel will be performed under orders from the Assistant Secretary of War. 

Reimbursement for expenses for subsistence, lodging, laundry, and pressing 
clothes will be limited to actual expenses, but not to exceed $5 per day, except 
in extraordinary and urgent cases. In all cases where expenses of more than 
$5 per day are incurred, full written explanation must be submitted and special 
approval of the Assistant Secretary of War obtained therefor. This amount 
will not include railroad, steamboat, omnibus, cab, wagon, carriage, and sleep- 
ing-car fares and fees to baggagemen, which items of expense will be allowed 
separately. 

Receipts will be required for all hotel bills. 

Reimbursement for traveling and other personal expenses will be made on 
regular forms provided therefor. 

Affidavits will be required on all vouchers covering reimbursement for travel- 
ing and other personal expenses. 

Official voucher forms must be used for all purchases and service. 

Receipts must be taken in all cases of purchases, payments, or advances, 
without exception. 

Personal checks must not be cashed. 

All drafts, money orders, obligations, and securities of every kind and de- 
scription received for collateral will accompany the accounts of the disbursing 
officer and will be delivered to the official representative of the Treasury Depart- 
ment through the Assistant Secretary of War. 

The cashing of travelers' checks, letters of credit, or other evidences of credit 
in the hands of any person, firm, or corporation other than the payee is expressly 
forbidden. 

All persons receiving assistance, whether in cash or otherwise, must render 
an obligation to reimburse the United States for the same on official forms 
provided for this purpose. 

Payments for supplies and services other than personal must not be made 
until the goods are delivered or the services rendered, if practical. 

In order to make Government funds go as far as possible, holders of evidences 
of credit in England should be referred to the bankers' committee in London for 
advances or payments thereon. 

Vouchers will be expressed in terms of American gold. When necessary, 
funds on hand sufficient to meet the needs of the situation may be converted into 
foreign money at the best obtainable rate. 

Advances to cover necessities only will be made to those persons in whose 
behalf deposits have been made in the United States of which advice has been 
received. Receipts must be taken for such advances and a statement of the 
facts noted as to the deposit and the charge of the amount advanced thereon. 
Use the official form of receipt. 



REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 15 

Bach disbursing officer to whom advances of funds are made will be held to 
the strictest accountability for the same. To this end accurate and definite 
accounts must be kept daily covering all transactions, and securities received 
must be properly kept and safeguarded. Accounts will be rendered to the 
official representative of the Treasury Department through the Assistant Secre- 
tary of War, who will approve the same. 

By reason of the fact that travelers' checks are expressed in United States 
dollar denominations and letters of credit in pounds sterling, and the further 
fact that the majority of letter-of -credit holders have also a small supply of 
travelers' checks, disbursing officers are requested to obtain travelers' checks 
as collateral for advances when possible to obviate the necessity of exchange 
conversion. 

All forms of obligation running to the United States must be filled out in full, 
and particularly as to the American address. 

Obligations to reimburse the United States, gi^n by Americans receiving 
assistance, will be as follows : 

1. From persons who have no evidences of credit: 

(a) Take sight draft (see Exhibit A) on some relative, responsible friend, 
firm, or corporation in United States, drawn to order of person making same, 
and by him or her indorsed, " Pay to order of Treasurer of the United States." 

(&) Take promissory demand note (see Exhibit B) payable to the Treasurer 
of the United States. 

2. From persons holding letters of credit take sight draft (see Exhibit C) on 
banking firm drawing letter of credit. Designate on face of draft the number 
of the letter of credit, date, and by whom issued. Insert United States address 
of bankers on whom draft is drawn, and also United States address of maker of 
draft. 

3. From persons who have travelers' checks (see Exhibit D) take up the 
check after cashing same. 

INSTRUCTIONS AS TO ADVANCES TO AMERICAN CITIZENS HOLDING NO FORM OF CREDIT 

OR CHECK. 

This class of advances should be in the minority and great care should be 
exercised in dealing with such applicants. Every effort should be made by dis- 
bursing officers to satisfy themselves that the people to whom such advances 
are made are responsible or have responsible relatives or responsible business 
connections in the United States; efforts should be made to ascertain whether 
they have any friends or relatives abroad, especially residing in London. It 
should be borne in mind that only the amount actually necessary to relieve the 
individual situation in hand should be advanced to any one person. 

Evidence of payment or of the value of assistance in kind should be taken on 
printed form, which will be supplied, shown herein as Exhibit A. You will 
note that Exhibit A is a sight draft. This draft should be filled in for the 
amount that applicant is to receive. The draft should be drawn to the order of 
applicant, signed by the applicant, and drawn on some relative or business con- 
nection in America upon whom he or she is dependent or upon one whom he or 
she can, as much as possible, satisfy you to be responsible, and who will take 
care of the advances which are being made to him or her. This draft should 
then be indorsed by the applicant, payable to the order of the Treasurer of the 
United States of America. In each case the full local address in America of 
the applicant should be placed below his signature in the lower right-hand 
corner of the draft and the full local address of the party on whom the draft 
is drawn should be noted in the lower left-hand corner of the draft. Extreme 
care should be taken that these drafts are drawn exactly in this form, for the 
reason that when so drawn they represent not only a moral obligation on the 
part of the party by whom they are payable, but also by reason of being indorsed 
by the applicant they become a legal obligation on his part to the United States 
Government in case they are not paid by the party upon whom drawn upon 
representation. 

When impossible to secure draft as above from applicant, his promissory 
note (see Exhibit B) on form to be furnished may be accepted. 

Attached to each draft should be a brief, but definite, synopsis of the general 
points brought out in discussion with the applicant. This will be required 
because some time will elapse between the time of making the advances in 
Europe and the presentation of the draft in America ; and in case difficulty is 

70274—14 2 



16 EEPOKT ON BELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

found in locating either the applicant himself or the one on whom the draft is 
drawn, this synopsis will in many cases be of assistance in subsequently recov- 
ering the money. 

While the greatest care should be taken in satisfying yourself of the safety 
in making advances as above mentioned, it should also be borne in mind that, 
in general, greater care must be exercised in making advances to males than 
females, because of the fact that it will be in this nature of advances that you will 
have to deal most largely with dishonest and irresponsible people. It has been 
widely advertised that the United States Government is sending to Europe two 
and a half millions of gold for the relief of Americans in distress. The bankers 
are also sending a large amount of gold for the relief primarily of holders of 
letters of credit and travelers' checks. Naturally, the irresponsible people will 
not have in their possession letters of credit or travelers' checks. Consequently, 
they will concentrate their efforts to obtain money from the Government, and 
by reason of having no checks or letters of credit, will be dealt with by you 
under this head. It would be well in all cases in England, particularly male 
cases, which come under this heading, for you to get in touch with the committee 
of Americans in London to find out if the applicant has registered with their 
bureau and what they know about him, and if any investigation whatsoever has 
been made by them. Unless the bureau is extremely busy, it is also desirable 
to make this same investigation in regard to female applicants, but irrespective 
of how busy the bureau may be, this must be done in the case of male applicants. 

INSTRUCTIONS FOR ADVANCES MADE TO AMERICANS HOLDING TRAVELERS' OR CIRCULAR 

LETTERS OF CREDIT. 

A letter of credit is what the name indicates. It is a letter written by some 
responsible banker in America addressed to all of his banking correspondents 
in Europe, a list of which usually appears on the reverse side of the letter, 
which, in effect, instructs said bankers to make advances to the holder of the 
credit whose name appears thereon up to a certain amount, usually in pounds 
sterling, before a certain expiration date, after which the credit becomes null 
and void. The phraseology of the various credits varies somewhat, but in 
general are much as follows: 

["Circular letter of credit.] 
No. 1762. £1,000. 

Boston, Mass., August 5, 1914- 
Gentlemen : We beg the liberty of introducing to you and recommending to 
your kind attention Mr. John Doe. We are opening for him at the same time 
a letter of credit for £1,000, for which you will pay the equivalent at the prevail- 
ing rate of exchange against a draft on Messrs. Baring Bros., London, at sight, 
which we guarantee will be collected upon presentation. We insure all pay- 
ments against this current letter, which is good up to December 31, 1914. 
Accept, gentlemen, assurances of our esteemed consideration. 

(Signed) Kidder, Peabody & Co. 

Specimen signature of the holder : " John Doe." 

Circular letters of credit are issued by a great many American banks and 
institutions. A list of the majority of these, such as will for the most part be 
presented to you, will be handed to you. 

When a letter of credit is offered to you as security for an advance, you 
should first see that the letter of credit is issued by a bank or institution in- 
cluded in list which will be furnished. You should, secondly, examine the 
credit to see that there is nothing queer about it, and particularly to see 
that there have been no alterations or erasures, or anything else to suggest any 
changes in the name of the party to whom issued, or the amount for which 
it was originally drawn, or the expiration date. You should next examine 
the credit to see that the expiration date is some time in the future. You 
should, fourthly, open up the credit to see how much has already been drawn 
on same. In this connection each time a payment is made on a letter of credit, 
it is necessary, on the inside of the credit, to note, first, the date of payment; 
secondly, by whom the payment is made ; and, thirdly, the amount for which 
the payment is made, the object of this being to show any one, such as yourself, 
who will be required to make payment on this credit, that there is an unused 
balance. 



REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 17 

Assuming, then, that the credit is found to be in order — that it is unexpired, 
and that there is an unused balance — the next step will be for you to fill out 
a draft, a supply of which will be furnished you ; sample herewith marked 
" Exhibit C." This draft will be nothing more or less than a demand draft 
on the banking house in the United States which issued the credit for the 
amount of United States dollars which you are to advance on the credit. 
Specimen draft inclosed herewith and marked " Exhibit C " is filled in for the 
purpose of serving as a dummy to apply to a drawing on the specimen letter 
of credit given you above, and shows a payment of $50 on that credit. This 
draft will be furnished printed, drawn payable to the order of the Treasurer 
of the United States of America, and it should be signed by the holder of the 
credit and made payable by bank issuing the credit. It is very important 
that signature to this draft be obtained in a certain manner and as follows : 

There are two general forms of circular or travelers' letters of credit. On 
some credits (those similar to the specimen given above) the specimen signa- 
ture of the holder appears at the bottom of the credit and has been placed on 
the credit at the time of purchase. There is another form, however, which, 
while having the name of the holder on the face of the credit, does not have 
a specimen signature of the holder thereon; but, instead, has the specimen 
signature of the holder in a small book, as a rule 3 or 4 inches long by 2 
or 3 inches wide, known as a letter of indication. After you have made out 
your draft against either form of letter of credit you should hold in your pos- 
session either the letter of credit bearing the specimen signature of the owner 
of the letter of indication bearing the specimen signature of the owner while 
he signs the draft. Then, after the draft has been signed, you should compare 
the specimen signature with the signature on the draft, and. if it tallies, 
identification will have been established, so that payment for the amount of 
the draft may then be made without further identification. On each draft 
drawn against a letter of credit you should note on the draft, in a space pro- 
vided for same, the number of the credit against which you are making 
payment, the name of the American bank by which issued, and the date 
issued. This is a means of identification, showing to which credit each individual 
draft belongs, so that the proper charge can be made in America. Particular 
care should be exercised as to this, but supreme care should be exercised 
to see that proper indorsement of the amount which you have paid against a 
credit be made on the inside of the credit, in the space provided therefor, 
and in the manner of previous indorsement, except that inasmuch as you are 
to pay out American dollars your indorsement should be in American dollars 
to exactly correspond with the draft. In estimating unused balance of any 
credit you may, in a general way, consider a pound sterling to represent $5. 
Furthermore, if the payment which you make exhausts the credit (if, in other 
words, the amount which you pay, added to the amount previously paid, 
equals the amount of the credit), credit should be taken up from the holder 
and attached to the draft which you make out, covering the amount paid. 

Observe the following in making these payments : 

1. Make general inspection of the credit to see that it has the appearance of 
being a genuine document. 

2. See that the name of the issuing bank is included in list furnished. 

3. See that expiration date is some time in the future. 

4. Add up on tbe inside of the credit the amounts previously paid on the credit 
to see that total is less than the amount of the face of the credit and to see 
that the difference between these two amounts is as great or greater than the 
amount which you have decided to advance to the applicant. 

5. Fill out the draft in every particular on printed form similar to Exhibit C< 

6. Indorse this amount on the interior of the credit as an advance made 
against the credit. 

7. While having credit, which will have specimen signature thereon or letter 
of indication in which is contained specimen signature in your possession, have 
applicant sign the draft covering the amount actually to be advanced. 

S. Compare the signature on the draft with the specimen signature either on 
the credit or on the letter of indication, and, if they agree — ■ 

9. Pay the man his money. 

It will probably happen that there will be presented to you for payment letters 
of credit drawn by other concerns than those mentioned in list. In such in- 
stances, before any action whatsoever is taken in regard to payments against 
same, credit should be referred to a responsible banker for advice as to whether 
the same is genuine, although issued by a house not mentioned in your list. 



18 REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

After this has been done you should proceed as mentioned before. It may also 
happen that you will be presented with letters of credit drawn, possibly, in 
francs, marks, or other moneys, which credits, when so drawn, will have desig- 
nated as a redeeming bank on the face of the credit a bank in France, Germany, 
or elsewhere, as the case may be. In such cases, when you have any doubt as 
to the amount of unused balance, you should go to soine responsible bank with 
the holder of the credit and secure advice from them on the matter. 

INSTRUCTIONS FOR ADVANCING MONEY TO AMERICANS HOLDING TRAVELERS' CHECKS. 

There are a number of banks and institutions in the United States issuing 
what are known as travelers' checks. Some of the concerns call them "circular 
notes," but the common term is travelers' checks. For the most part you will 
encounter those issued by the American Bankers' Association, the American 
Express Co.; Wells Fargo & Co. Express; Knauth, Nachod & Kuhne; Thomas 
Cook & Sons; Brown Bros. & Co. ; International Mercantile Marine ; and others, a 
full list of which will be furnished. The general principles of this form of 
credit are that they are issued in fixed amounts of $10, $20, $50, $100. and $200; 
also printed on the face of each check is the equivalent in each of the various 
foreign moneys of the world for which the check will be cashed. At the time 
they are purchased the purchaser writes his name on the face of the check. 
Different forms of check vary somewhat, but in each case the purchaser places 
his specimen signature on each individual check somewhere on the face thereof. 
There is also a blank space left on each check for the countersignature of the 
purchaser at the time he presents the check for cashing. The place for this 
countersignature varies in the case of different forms of checks. For instance, 
on the American Bankers' Association check and the American Express Co. 
check the space for the countersignature is in the lower left-hand corner, be- 
neath the space in which the purchaser has signed the check when he bought it. 
Others have places for the countersignature on the back of the check, but the 
point of interest to you is that when such a check is presented to you for 
cashing it should be countersigned in the space for that purpose, and in your 
presence, and the countersignature furnished you at that time should correspond 
with the signature which was placed upon the check at the time it was bought, 
and the fact that it does correspond establishes identification. Of course, the 
checks being lithographed for fixed amounts makes the matter of raising them 
practically an impossibility, but, nevertheless, each check presented to you for 
payment should be carefully examined, and if there are any erasures or altera- 
tions they should not be paid until you are perfectly satisfied that everything 
is in order. There is a space on each check for the name of the party to whose 
order it is drawn; that is, for the name of the institution that is to cash the 
check. In this space should be inserted "to the order of the Treasurer of the 
United States of America." A general specimen of check is shown by Exhibit D, 
and you will note that in this specimen space is left blank for countersignature. 
In other words, the specimen is in the form that a check should be when pre- 
sented to you for payment. You may have cases before you where a check 
will be offered to you for payment which has already been countersigned, due 
to the fact that a previous attempt has been made to cash the check. It was 
countersigned and then for some reason or other not paid. In such a case 
applicant should be requested to sign his name on the back of the check, where 
no other specimen signature appears, and then this signature should be com- 
pared with the signature on the face of the check. If it agrees you are reason- 
ably certain, and are authorized to pay the check without further identification. 
There is not the detail connected with the payment of travelers' checks which 
there is in connection with the payments of credits. You will find that the 
holders of letters of credit in many instances will have a supply of travelers' 
checks as well, and it might be a good idea whenever letters of credit are 
offered for payment for you to make inquiry from the holder as to whether or 
not they have travelers' checks, and if they have request them to allow you 
to make advances on the checks rather than against letters of credit. In the 
case of travelers' checks, as in the case of letters of credit, whenever any 
unusnal case conies to your attention not covered by instructions given above 
you should consult some bank or consular official to satisfy yourself as best you 
can that the check is genuine and in order. In every case take up the check. 

Regarding the Matter of Tourist Parties. 

There are probablv at the present time in Europe in different parts thousands 
of people who are oil personally conducted tours. There are probably 100 tour- 



REPOET ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 19 

ing companies, or so-called touring companies, managing such tours. Some of 
these have financial responsibility ; others not. The general scheme is that 
the patrons of these companies deposit with them before leaving America a 
certain sum of money, which includes their steamship passage to and from 
Europe, their railroad fares as they travel from point to point, their hotel 
accommodations, and other incidentals. Patrons themselves in many cases carry 
with them only a very small sum of money, oftentimes as little as $100. 
Directors of these parties are 'advanced by their home office sometimes a suffi- 
cient amount of money in some form of travelers' credit to cover the entire 
expenses of the trip. In other cases they are only given a portion of the money 
which will be required, planning at a later date to send them the remainder 
somewhere en route. These people will probably be encountered in all kinds 
of conditions. In some cases they will have with them a conductor who has 
plenty of money in the form of letters of credit, but will not be any too willing 
to provide the necessary expenses for getting his people home, because in so doing 
he will be spending a good deal more than has been allowed him for this pur- 
pose, and his trip will, therefore, be a financial loss. In such cases conductors 
should be required by you to furnish the amount of money necessary for this 
purpose, provided he has it in his possession. In many cases you will find 
that the conductor as well as the members of the tour have exhausted their 
funds completely, because of the impossibility of the home office getting addi- 
tional money which they had anticipated they would forward to the conductor. 
Advances to these parties should be made where the conductor of the trip has 
no form of traveling credit under the terms of advances first mentioned herein, 
with the further provision that all drafts received as evidence of such advances 
should also be indorsed by the conductor of the party as agent for the tourist 
company which he represents. The reason for this is that he has contracted to 
take these people to Europe and back home again, and he should be required 
to guarantee to the Government advances made to members of his party. The 
parties of the more responsible tourist companies, such as Raymond & Whit- 
comb Co., Thomas Cook & Co., Frank Clark, Bureau of University Travel, and 
others will undoubtedly have made some suitable provision for taking care of 
their parties. But many cases will be found where parties touring Europe 
are being conducted by some school teacher or minister, or others unfamiliar 
with the circumstances which now confront us, and they will have to be dealt 
with the best way possible, but on general principles it will be reasonably safe 
to assume that it will be a good deal safer to make advances to members of 
parties of responsible tourist concerns, particularly such concerns as the Ray- 
mond Whitcomb Co. and some others, because the members of these parties 
are, as a rule, responsible people. 



Exhibit A. 

Sept. 1, 1914. 

On demand after date pay to the order of myself dollars. 

To (name) . Address, . Name: 



Address : 



Exhibit B. 

Sept. 1, 1914. 
On demand after date I promise to pay to the order of the Treasurer of the 

United States dollars. 

Name, . Address, . 



Exhibit C. 

UNITED STATES RELIEF COMMISSION. 

Carlsbad, September 1, 191If. 
$50. On demand after date pay to the order of the Treasurer of the United 
States of America fifty dollars in gold coin of the United States, value re- 
ceived and charge to account of letter of credit. No. 1762, dated August 5, 1914, 
to Kidder, Peabody & Co., Boston. Issued by Kidder, Peabody & Co., Boston. 

John Doe, 
U t Essex Street, Maiden, Mass., United States of America. 



20 REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

Exhibit D. 



John Doe, signature of purchaser. 

AMERICAN BANKERS' ASSOCIATION TRAVELER'S CHECK. 

Pay to the order of . 



-, 191-. 



United States and Canada. 


Great 
Britain. 


France, 
Belgium, 
and Switz- 
erland. 


Austria. 


Ger- 
many. 


Sweden. 


Other countries at 
current rates. 




£. s. d. 
2 10 


Francs. 
51.25 


Crowns. 
48.75 


Marks. 
41.75 


Crowns. 
37 









John Doe, countersignature of purchaser. 



Bankers' Trust Co., 
Benj. Strong, Jr., 

President. 



General Orders, 
No. 3. 

Office of the Assistant Secretary of War, 

On board U. S. Ship " Tennessee," 

August 8, 1914. 
Under the existing emergency incident to offering relief, protection, and trans- 
portation to American citizens in Europe, officers and civilian employees of the 
War Department, while actually engaged upon this work under competent 
orders, will be reimbursed for their actual traveling expenses, and in addition 
thereto for lodging and subsistence not to exceed five dollars ($5.00) per day 
from the time of departure from their stations until return thereto, unless other- 
wise relieved from this duty. If extraordinary circumstances render it impos- 
sible to obtain lodging and subsistence for five dollars per day, under such 
conditions full explanation will be made of the reasons for incurring the excess 
expenses, and special approval of the Assistant Secretary of War obtained for 
file with vouchers. 

Payment on this account will be made by disbursing officers from funds appro- 
priated under the joint resolution of Congress " for the relief, protection, and 
transportation of American citizens in Europe, and for other purposes." 

Henry Breckinridge, 
Assistant Secretary of War. 
Official : 

James A. Logan, Jr., 

Major, Quartermaster Corps, Adjutant, 



[Copy.] 

[63d Congress, 2nd session. H. J. Res. 314.] 

JOINT RESOLUTION 

For the relief, protection, and transportation of American citizens in Europe, 

and for other purposes. 

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States 
of America in Congress assembled, That for the relief, protection, and trans- 
portation of American citizens, and for personal services, rent, and other ex- 
penses which may be incurred in the District of Columbia or elsewhere in con- 
nection with or growing out of the existing political disturbance in Europe, 
there is appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropri- 
ated, the sum of $2,500,000, to be expended at the discretion of the President: 
Provided, That American citizens to whom relief is extended or transportation 
is furnished hereunder shall pay to or reimburse the United States all reason- 
able expenses so incurred, respectively, on their account, if financially able to do 
so. In the execution of the provisions hereof the President is authorized to 
employ officers, employees, and vessels of the United States and use any sup- 
plies of the naval or military establishments, and to charter and employ any 
vessels that may be required. 



REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 21 

A detailed statement of all expenditures hereunder and under the appropria- 
tions of $250,000 made in the joint resolution approved August third, nineteen 
hundred and fourteen, and of all amounts reimbursed to the United States of 
such expenditures shall be made to Congress on or before the beginning of its 
next regular session. 

Passed the House of Representatives August 5, 1914. 

Attest : 

, Cleric. 



Office of the Official Representative 

of the Treasury Department, 

U. S. S. Tennessee, August 15, 191J/.. 

accounting instructions. 

The manual of instructions for relief work gives in detail the various forms 
of evidences of credit which you are authorized to receive (namely, travelers' 
checks, sight drafts, and promissory notes) in- return for relief furnished in 
kind or for relief furnished by advances in cash. 

The following forms are to be used by special disbursing agents accountable 
for funds pertaining to the appropriation "Relief of American citizens," viz: 

1. Account current. 

2. Abstract of expenditures. (Voucher to account current.) 

3. Voucher for purchase and services. (Voucher to abstract of expenditures.) 

4. Receipt for cash advances. (Voucher to abstract of expenditures.) 

5. Reimbursement of traveling expenses. (Form 2148, Treasury Department 
voucher to abstract of expenditures.) 

6. Treasury advances on deposits. (Vouchers to account current.) 

7. Report of evidences of credit received. (To have filed with it all evidences 
of credit.) 

1. An account current will be rendered by each special disbursing agent upon 
completion of the relief work, or sooner if so ordered. Funds will be advanced 
to special disbursing agents upon requisition of the Assistant Secretary of War. 
A certificate of advance will be issued by the official representative of the 
Treasury Department covering all such advances. 

Funds may be subsequently transferred on invoices and receipts upon 
approval of chiefs of groups. 

Treasury "Advances on deposits with Treasurer United States, authority 

dated ," will only be made on the receipt of proper advice from the 

official representative of the Treasury Department approved by the special 
commissioner. 

The account current, together with its supporting vouchers, will be trans- 
mitted to the office of the official representative of the Treasury Department for 
settlement. 

2. An abstract of expenditures will accompany each account current and 
will have filed with it all vouchers covering cash payments and -advances, 
except that payments on account of Treasury deposits will be entered directly 
on the face of the account current, or on a separate abstract if found necessary, 
the total of which will be carried to the account current. 

3. Under the existing emergency officers engaged in relief work are author- 
ized to purchase supplies and procure services in the open market at the lowest 
obtainable rates without advertising. 

Vouchers for purchases and services directly on account of office expenses, 
hire of employees, printing, etc. (overhead charges), will have written on their 
face the words " office expenses." 

4. Receipts for cash advances will be taken by special disbursing agents 
covering actual advances of cash made on " travelers' checks," " sight drafts," 
and " promissory notes." Attention is invited to the fact that this receipt is 
a subvoucher of the abstract of disbursements of the accountable officer, whereas 
the original instruments of credit referred to are filed with the " Report of 
evidences of credit received." The "' file number " of the evidence of credit 
will be entered at the bottom of the " receipt for cash advances." 

5. The form " Reimbursement for traveling expenses — No. 2148, Treasury 
Department," will be used for traveling and personal expenses of members of 
relief parties. 

6. The form " Treasury advances on deposits " will be used when funds are 
advanced upon receipt of proper advices from the official representative of the 



22 



REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 



Treasury Department, approved by the Assistant Secretary of War. This 
authority should be filed with the account. 

7. The " Report of evidences of credit received " is not a voucher to the 
account current. It has filed with it and numbered consecutively all travelers" 
checks, sight drafts, and promissory notes taken up by special disbursing 
agents. It includes evidences of credit upon which cash has been advanced as 
well as evidences of credit taken up in return for the value of relief furnished 
in kind. This report, together with its accompanying evidences of credit, may 
be called for at any time. 

James L. Wilmeth, 
Official Representative of the Treasury Department. 
Approved : 

Henry Breckinridge, 

Assistant Secretary of War and Special 

Commissioner of the United States. 
Official : 

Jas. A. Logan, Jr., 

Major, Quartermaster Corps, United States Army. 

(Forms of vouchers attached hereto.) 

Report of evidences of credit received. 

[This report includes evidences of credit received in return for value of relief extended in kind, as well as 
those received in return for relief extended by actual cash advanced.] 



Period: From 



to 



1914. 





Face value of — 


File No. 


Face value of— 


File No. 


Travelers' 
checks. 


Sight 
drafts. 


Promis- 
sory 
notes. 


Total. 


Travelers' 
checks. 


Sight 
drafts. 


Promis- 
sory 
notes. 


Total. 












Brought 
























































































































































Total 










Carried 









































I certify that this report is correct. 



U. S. Army, Special Disbursing Agent. 



Appropriation: Relief of American Citizens. 

— , U. S. Army, from 



The United States in account current with 
1914, to , 1914. 



Debits. 






Credits. 






Expenditures as shown by 






Certificate of advance No. 
, dated ,1914.. 






Transferred to Capt. , 

U. S. Army... 






No .dated ,1914. 






Received by transfer from 






Advances on deposits with 
Treasurer, United States, 





















































I certify that the above is a full, true, and correct account of all moneys 
pertaining to the appropriation " Relief of American citizens " coming into my 



KEPOKT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 



23 



possession on account of the United States during the period stated. The 
balance due the United States of $ is held by me in cash. 



U. 8. Army, Special Disbursing Agent. 
Approval recommended. 
I certify that I have counted the cash and verified the balance reported. 



Approved ; 



U. 8. Army, Chief of Party. 



Assistant Secretary of War. 
Abstract of expenditures received from to , 191Jf. 



Voucher 
No. 


Date. 


Expenditure in cash, on ac- 
count of— 


Voucher 
No. 


Date. 


Expenditure in cash on ac- 
count of — 


Ad- 
vances. 


Supplies 
and serv- 
ices. 


Total. 


Ad- 
vances. 


Supplies 
and serv- 
ices. 


Total 




























































































































ward 








Total. . . 










Carried for 



































I certify this abstract to be correct. 



V. S. Army, Special Disbursing Agent. 



LIST OF PRINCIPAL BANKS AND INSTITUTIONS ISSUING CIRCULAR LETTERS OF CREDIT. 

Boston, Mass. — Brown Bros. & Co.; Curtis & Sanger; First National Bank; 
Kidder, Peabody & Co. ; Lee, Higginson & Co. ; J. B. Moors & Co. 

Cleveland, Ohio. — First National Bank. 

Chicago, III. — Central Trust Co., Continenfal & Commercial National Bank, 
First National Bank, Fort Dearborn National Bank, Merchants' Loan & Trust 
Co., National Bank of the Republic, Union Trust Co. 

Denver, Colo. — First National Bank, United States National Bank. 

Kansas City, Mo. — First National Bank. 

Los Angeles, Cal. — Security Trust & Savings Bank. 

Minneapolis, Minn. — First National Bank, Northwestern National Bank, 
Security National Bank. 

New Orleans, La. — Hibernia Bank & Trust Co., Whitney Central National 
Bank. 

New York, N. Y. — American Express Co. ; Bank of Montreal ; Bankers' /Trust 
Co.; August Belmont & Co. ; Blair & Co. ; Canadian Bank of Commerce; Central 
Trust Co. ; Chase National Bank ; Henry Clews & Co. ; Columbia Trust Co. ; 
Thomas Cook & Co. ; Equitable Trust Co. ; Farmers' Loan & Trust Co. ; First 
National Bank; Guaranty Trust Co.; Heidelbach, Ichelheimer Co. ; International 
Banking Corporation; International Mercantile Marine; Knauth, Nachod & 
Kuhne; Kountz Bros.; Kuhn, Loeb & Co.; Ladenberg, Thalman & Co.; Lazard 
Freres; Lehman Bros.; Mechanics & Metals National Bank; J. P. Morgan & 
Co.; National Bank of Commerce; National City Bank; C. B. Richard & Co.; 
J. & W. Seligman ; Speyer & Co. ; Union Trust Co. ; United States Mortgage & 
Trust Co. ; Zimmerman & For shay. 

Philadelphia, Pa. — Fourth Street National Bank, Franklin National Bank, 
Girard National Bank, Girard Trust Co., Philadelphia National Bank. 

Pittsburgh, Pa. — Fidelity Trust Co., Mellon National Bank, Union Trust Co. 

Portland, Oreg. — Ladd & Tilden National Bank. 

Richmond, Ya. — Merchants' National Bank. 



24 REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

San Francisco, Gal. — Anglo London & Paris National Bank, Bank of Cali- 
fornia, Crocker National Bank, First National Bank, Wells-Fargo Nevada 
National Bank. 

Savannah, Ga. — Savannah Bank & Trust Co. 

Seattle, Wash. — Dexter, Horton, National Bank. 

St. Louis, Mo. — Mercantile Trust Co., Mechanics' American National Bank, 
Merchants' Laclede National Bank, National Bank of Commerce, Union Trust Co. 



LIST OF AMBASSADORS, MINISTERS, MILITARY AND NAVAL ATTACHES, STUDENT 
OFFICERS UNITED STATES ARMY, CONSULS GENERAL, CONSULS AND CONSULAR 
AGENTS IN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES AFFECTED BY PRESENT WAR. 

This list does not include the names of secretaries of embassies and legations, 
nor does it include the names of deputy and vice consuls general serviug with 
consuls and consuls general. 

Note. — In corresponding and telegraphing diplomatic and consular offices do 
not address the individual, but address the name of the office held by individual, 
as, for example, "American Ambassador, Paris, France " ; "American Minister, 
Brussels, Belgium " ; "American Consul General, Budapest, Hungary " ; "Ameri- 
can Consul, Breslau, Prussia " ; "American Consular Agent, Brake, Oldenburg," 
etc. 

Austria-Hungary. — Diplomatic: Vienna, F. C. Penfield, ambassador; Com- 
mander S. V. Graham, naval attache; Capt. Allan L. Briggs, military attache. 
Consular : Budapest, Hungary, William Coffin, consul general ; Carlsbad, 
Bohemia, Austria, Wallace J. Young, consul; Flume, Croatia, Hungary, Ben- 
jamin F. Chase, consul ; Prague, Bohemia. Austria, Charles L. Hoover, consul ; 
Reichenberg, Bohemia, Austria. Nicholas R. Snyder, consul; Trieste, Coastland, 
Austria, Ralph C. Busser, consul ; Vienna, Lower Austria, Charles Denby, consul 
general. 

Belgium. — Diplomatic : Brussels, Brand Whitlock, minister. Consular : Ant- 
werp, Henry W. Diedrich, consul general; Brussels, Ethelbert Watts, consul 
general; Ghent, Henry Albert Johnson, consul; Liege, Alexander Heingarten, 
consul. 

Bulgaria — Diplomatic : Bucharest, Ronmania, Charles J. Vopicka, minister ; 
Sofia, Bulgaria, Lieut. Sherman Miles, military attache. 

Denmark — Diplomatic: Copenhagen, Maurice Francis Egan, minister. Con- 
sular: Copenhagen, Edward D. Winslow, consul general. 

France — Diplomatic: Paris, Myron T. Herrick, ambassador; Maj. Spencer 
Cosby, military attache; Lieut. Commander Samuel M. Major, naval attache. 
Consular : Algiers, Algeria, Dean D. Mason, consul ; Bordeaux, George A. Buck- 
lin, jr., consul ; Calais, James B. Milner. consul ; Cognac, Kenneth S. Patton, 
consul ; Grenoble, Clarence Carrigan, consul ; Havre, John Ball Osborn, consul ; 
Limoges, Eugene L. Belisle, consul; Bayonne, Burdett Mason, agent 1 ; Boulogne- 
sur-mer, William Whitman, agent; Cherbourg, Auguste Laniece, agent; Lyon, 
Frederick Van Dyne, consul; Digon, Nicolas Chapuis, agent 1 ; Marseille, Al- 
phonse Gaulin, consul general; Bastia, Corsica, Simon Damiani, agent; Cette, 
Carl D. Hagelin, agent; Nantes, Walter H. Schulz, consul; Brest, Alfred Pitel, 
agent; Nice, William Dulany Hunter, consul; Paris, Alexander M. Thackara, 
consul general ; Reims, William Bardel, consul ; Roubaix, John J. C. Watson, 
consul; Dunkirk, Benjamin Morel, agent; Rouen, Lucien Memminger, consul; 
Amiens, Charles Tassencourt, agent: Dieppe, Walter P. S. Palmer-Samborne, 
agent; St. Etienne, William H. Hunt, consul; St. Pierre, St. Pierre Island, 
Edward Carl Kemp, consul; Tamatave, Madagascar, James G. Carter, consul. 
Student officers: Capt. F. H. Pope, Quartermaster Corps: Lieut. William S. 
Martin. Fourth Cavalry; Capt. N. E. Margetts, Sixth Field Artillery: Lieut. 
A. T. Bishop, Sixth Field Artillery; Capt. W. A. Castle, Infantry: Lieut. Carl 
Boyd, Third Cavalry; Lieut. F. W. Honeycutt, Third Field Artillery; Lieut. 
E. St. J. Greble, Third Field Artillery; Capt. J. W. Barker, Third Infantry: 
Capt. A. M. Miller, Eleventh Cavalry; Lieut. J. G. Quekemeyer, Thirteenth 
Cavalry; Maj. M. J. Henry, Quartermaster Corps; Capt. Frank Parker, Eleventh 
Cavalry. 

German Empire — Diplomatic: Berlin, James W. Gerard, ambassador; Lieut. 
Commander Walter R. Gherardi, naval attache; Maj. George T. Langhorne, 
military attache. Consular: Aix la Chapelle, Prussia, Robert J. Thompson, 
consul ; Apia, Samoa, Mason Mitchell, consul ; Barmen. Prussia, George Eugene 

1 Wherever the word "Agent " appears the same should be " Consular Agent." 



REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 25 

Eager, consul; Berlin, Prussia, Julius G. Lay, consul general; Sorau, Prussia, 
George A. Makiuson, agent ; Bremen, William T. Fee, consul ; Brake, Oldenburg, 
Wilhelm Clements, agent; Brenierbaven, Bremen, Joseph F. Buck, agent; 
Emden, Prussia, Conrad Zorn, agent; Breslau, Prussia, Harry G. Seltzer, con- 
sul; Brunswick, Brunswick, Talbott J. Albert, consul, Chemnitz, Saxony, Frank 
Deedmeyer, consul ; Coburg, Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, William J. Pike, consul gen- 
eral ; Sonneberg, Saxe-Meiningen, Frederick J. Dietzman, agent ; Cologne, Prus- 
sia, Charles A. Holder, consul ; Dresden, Saxony, Leo Allen Bergholz, consul 
general ; Erfurt, Prussia, Graham H. Kemper, consul ; Frankfort on the Main, 
Prussia, Heaton W. Harris, consul general Gassel, Prussia, Gustav C. Kothe, 
agent; Wiesbaden, Prussia, John B. Breuer, agent; Hamburg, Henry J. Morgan, 
consul general ; Cuxhaven, Francis R. Stewart, agent ; Kiel, Prussia, Paul H. J. 
Sartori, agent ; Lubeck, Wolfgang Gaedertz, agent; Hanover, Prussia, Albert 
H. Michelson, consul ; Kehl, Baden, Milo A. Jewett, consul ; Leipzig, Saxony, 
William P. Kent, consul; Gera, Reuss, Schleitz, Charles Neuer, agent; Magde- 
burg, Prussia, Alfred W. Donegan, consul ; Mannheim, Baden, William C. 
Teichmann, consul; Neustadt-an-der-Hardt, Bavaria, Leopold Blum, agent; 
Munich, Bavaria, T. St. John Gaffney, consul general ; Nuremberg, Bavaria, 
Charles S. Winans, consul; Plauen, Saxony, Robert Brent Mosher, consul; 
Markneukirchen, Saxony, Bruce Wallace, agent; Stettin, Prussia, Henry C. A. 
Damm, consul; Danzig, Prussia, Ernst A. Claaszen, agent; Konigsberg, Prus- 
sia, Alexander Eckhart, agent ; Swinemunde, Prussia, Wilhelm Potenberg, agent ; 
Stuttgart, Wurttemberg, Edward Higgins, consul. Student officer : Capt. Berke- 
ley Enochs, Twenty-seventh Infantry. 

Great Britain — Diplomatic : Walter Hines Page, ambassador ; Commander 
Powers Symington, naval attache; Lieut. Col. George O. Squier, military at- 
tache. Consular: Belfast, Ireland, Hunter Sharp, consul; Londonderry, Ire- 
land, Philip O'Hagen, agent 1 ; Birmingham, Albert Halstead, consul; Kidder- 
minster, England, James Norton, agent ; Redditch, England, William U. Brewer, 
agen; Bradford, England, Augustus E. Ingram, consul; Bristol, England, John 
S. Armstrong, jr., consul; Burslem (Stoke-on-Trent), England, Robert S. S. 
Bergh, consul; Cardiff, Wales, Lorin A. Lathrop, consul; Cork (Queenstown), 
Ireland, Wesley Frost, consul ; Limerick, Ireland, Edmund Ludlow, agent ; 
Dublin, Ireland, Edward L. Adams, consul ; Galway, Ireland, Robert A. Tennant, 
agent; Dundee. Scotland, E. Haldeman Dennison. consul; Aberdeen, Scotland, 
William P. Quann, agent ; Dunfermline, Scotland, Howard D. Van Sant, consul ; 
Edinburgh, Scotland, Rufus Fleming, consul; Glasgow, Scotland, John N. Mc- 
Cunn, consul ; Greenock, Scotland, James A. Love, agent ; Troon, Scotland, 
Peter H. Wadell, agent; Huddersfield, England, Franklin D. Hale, consul; 
Hull, England, Charles M. Hathaway, jr., consul; Leeds, England, Homer M. 
Byington, consul ; Liverpool, England, Horace Lee Washington, consul; Holy- 
head, Wales, Richard D. Roberts, agent; St. Helens, England, Ernest L. Phillips, 
agent ; London, England, Robert S. Skinner, consul general ; Dover, England, 
Frederick Crundall, agent ; Manchester, England, William H. Robertson, consul ; 
Newcastle-on-tyne, England, Walter C. Hamm, consul; West Hartlepool, Eng- 
land, Hans C. Nielsen, agent; Nottingham, England, Samuel M. Taylor, consul; 
Derby, England, Charles K. Eddowes, agent; Leicester, England, Samuel S. 
Partridge, agent; Plymouth, England, Joseph G. Stephens, consul; Sheffield, 
England, John M. Savage, consul ; Southampton, England, Albert W. Swalm, 
consul; Jersey, Channel Islands, E. B. Renouf, agent; Weymouth, England, 
Frederick W. Fuller, agent; Swansea, Wales, C. Ludlow Livingston, consul; 
Gibraltar, Spain, R. L. Sprague, consul. 

Greece. — Diplomatic : Athens, , minister ; 2 Sofia, Bulgaria, 

Lieut. Sherman Miles, military attache. Consular : Athens, Alexander W. 
Weddell, consul general. Kalamata : Sotiris Carapateas, agents. 1 Patras: 
Arthur B. Cooke, consul. 

Italy. — Diplomatic: Rome, Thomas Nelson Page, ambassador; Lieut. Com- 
mander Russel Train, naval attache; Col. George M. Dunn, military attache. 
Consular: Catania, Joseph E. Haven, consul; Florence, Frederick T. F. Dumont, 
consul ; Genoa, John Edward Jones, consul general ; Leghorn, Roger C. Tredwell, 
consul ; Carrara, Felix A. Dalmas, agent ; Milan, John H. Grout, consul ; Naples, 
Jay White, consul; Bari, Max Amadeus Miescher, agent; Palermo, Samuel H. 
Shank, consul; Rome, Chapman Coleman, consul; Tripoli, Libya, W. Roderick 
Dorsey, consul ; Turin, Charles B. Perry, consul ; Venice, B. Harvey Carroll, jr., 
consul. 

1 Wherever the word "Agent " appears the same should be " Consular Agent." 

2 Office in charge of charged 



26 REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

Luxemburg. — Diplomatic: The Hague, Netherlands, Henry Van Dyke, min- 
ister. 

Montenegro (legation at Athens, Greece). — Diplomatic: Sofia, Bulgaria, 
Lieut. Sherman Miles, military attache. 

Netherlands. — Diplomatic: Berlin, Germany, Lieut. Commander Walter R. 
Gherardi, naval attache; The Hague, Henry Van Dyke, minister. Consular: 
Amsterdam, Dominic I. Murphy, consul; Rotterdam, Soren Listoe, consul 
general; Flushing, Pieter F. Auer, agent; Luxemburg, Luxemburg, Desire 
Derulle, agent; Scheveningen, Anders C. Nelson, agent. 

Norway. — Diplomatic: Christiania, Albert G. Schmedeman, minister. Con- 
sular: Bergen, Bertil M. Rasmusen, consul; Christiania, Michael J. Hendrick, 
consul general; Christionsand, Borre Rosenkilde, agent; Trondhjem, H. Rasch 
Nielsen, agent; Stavenger, Theodore Jaeckel, consul. 

Portugal. — Diplomatic: Lisbon, Thomas H. Birch, minister. Consular: Lis- 
bon, Will L. Lowrie, consul general; Funchal, Maderia, John Correia, agent; 
Oporto, William H. Stuve, agent ; Sao Vivente, C. V. I., J. B. Guimaraes, agent. 

Roumania. — Diplomatic: Bucharest, Charles J. Vopicka, minister; Sofia, 
Bulgaria, Lieut. Sherman Miles, military attache. Consular: Bucharest, 
Charles Campbell, jr., consul general; Sofia, Bulgaria, Acene C. Kermektchieff, 
agent. 

Russia. — Diplomatic : St. Petersburg, , ambassador, Charles S. 

Wilson, secretary of embassy ; Paris, France, Lieut. Commander Samuel I. M. 
Major, naval attache. Consular: Batum, Felix Willoughby Smith, consul; 
Moscow, John H. Snodgrass, consul general ; Odessa, John A. Ray, consul ; 
Rostoff-on-Don, George R. Martin, agent; Riga, Douglas Jenkins, consul; Libau, 
Alfred Seligmann, agent; St. Petersburg, North Winship, consul; Helsingfors, 
Finland, Victor Ek, agent; Reval, Rustan Erich Albert Radau, agent; Vladi- 
vostock, Siberia, John F. Jewell, consul ; Warsaw, Hernando de Soto, consul. 

Servia. — Diplomatic: Bucharest, Roumania, Charles J. Vopicka, minister; 
Sofia, Bulgaria, Lieut. Sherman Miles, military attache. Consular, Belgrade: 
Lewis W. Haskell, consul. 

Spain. — Diplomatic: Madrid, Joseph E. Willard, ambassador; Capt. Norton 
E. Wood, military attach^. Consular: Barcelona, Carl Bailey Hurst, consul 
general; Bilbao, James S. Bourke, agent, 1 Palamos, Junius H. Stone, agent; 
Palma de Mallorca, Juan Morey y Cabanellas, agent; Tarragona, Louis J. 
Agontini, agent; Jerez de la Frontera, Paul H. Foster, consul; Madrid, Robert- 
son Honey, consul; Corunna, Enrique Fraga, agent; Vigo, Enrique Mulder, 
agent; Malaga, Percival Gassett, consul; Almeria, Bartley F. Yost, agent; 
Seville, Wilbur T. Gracey, consul; Cadiz, James Sanderson, agent; Huelva, 
William J. Alcock, agent; Valencia, Claude I. Dawson, consul; Alicante, Henry 
W. Carey, agent; Denia, Luis Tono, agent. 

Sioeden. — Diplomatic : Stockholm, , minister ; Jefferson Caffery, 

secretary of legation. Consular : Goteborg, Emil Sauer, consul ; Malmo, Joseph 
Westerberg, agent ; Stockholm, Ernest L. Harris, consul general ; Sundsvall, 
Ernst H. Ainneus, agent. 

Switzerland.— Diplomatic : Berne, Pleasant A. Stovall, minister ; Maj. Edward 
P. Lawton, military attache. Consular: Basel, Philip Holland, consul; Berne, 
Max. J. Baehr, consul ; Geneva, Francis B. Keene, consul : Vevey, E. Powell 
Frazer, agent, 1 St. Gall, George N. Ifft, consul ; Zurich. David F. Wilber, consul 
general ; Lucerne, Julius Hartmann, agent. 

Turkey. — Diplomatic: Constantinople, Henry Morgenthau, ambassador; Maj. 
John R. M. Taylor, military attache. Consular: Aleppo, Syria, Jesse B. Jack- 
son, consul; Alexandretta, Turkey, John T. Peristiany, agent; Alexandria, 
Egypt, Arthur Garrels, consul; Port Said, Egypt, Edward Lyell Bristow, agent; 
Suez, Egypt, Frederick T. Peake, agent; Bagdad, Charles P. Brissel, consul; 
Bassorah, Arwid Konoff, agent; Beirut, Syria, W. Stanley Hollis, consul gen- 
eral, Damascus, Syria, John W. Dye, agent; Haifa, Syria, Theodore J. Struve, 
agent; Tripoli, Syria, Ira Harris, agent; Cairo, Egypt, Olney Arnold, consul 
general ; Assioot, Egypt, GeOrge Wissa Bey, agent ; Constantinople, Gabriel Bie 
Ravndal, consul general; Dardanelles, Alfred R. Grech, agent; Harput, Leslie 
A. Davis, consul; Jerusalem, Palestine, Otis A. Glazebrook, consul; Jaffa, 
Palestine, Jacob Hardegg, agent; Mersina, Edward I. Nathan, consul; Saloniki, 

John E. Kehl, consul ; Sivas, , consul ; Smyrna, George Horton, 

consul general; Mitylene, Apostolos P. Hadji Christofa. agent; Trebizond, 
Alfred S. Northrup, consul ; Samsun, William Peter, agent. 

1 Wherever the word " agent " appears, the same should be " consular agent." 



APPENDIX B. 



I REPORT OF WORK OF RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN GREAT BRITAIN 
V AND IRELAND FROM FUNDS APPROPRIATED BY JOINT RESOLUTION 
(H. J. 314) SIXTY-THIRD CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION, 1914. 

Offices of the Relief Commission, 
115 Victoria Street SW., 

October 2, 191 ^ 

From: Maj. D. W. Ketcham, General Staff, United States Army. 

To: The Assistant Secretary of War. 

Subject: Relief work in Great Britain and Ireland. 

1. The following report of the work of relief of American citizens 
in Great Britain and Ireland from funds appropriated by joint reso- 
lution (H. J. 314). Sixty-third Congress, second session, is submitted. 

2. In compliance with special orders No. 1, issued from your office 
(copy attached) my party proceeded from Falmouth on the morning 
of August 17, arriving in London about 5 p. m. the same day. An 
interview was held with the ambassador (the Honorable Walter Hines 
Page) the next day and arrangements agreed upon as to the methods 
of disbursing the funds for relief purposes. 

3. Before leaving Falmouth we had shipped from the Tennessee, 
through the American Express Co., $400,000 in gold coin, consigned 
to the Bank of England. Three hundred thousand of this was to be 
disbursed by the ambassador for relief purposes, and $100,000 by my 
party. 

4. The ambassador requested me to disburse his fund, to use our 
blanks for the purpose, and to make our reports to him. This was to 
prevent two parties disbursing money at the same place for the same 
purpose, with the evils of overlapping, inefficiency, etc. The fund 
was disbursed through the committee known as the " Committe of 
Americans resident in London." The work of this committee had . 
been examined, and it appeared to be well organized and efficient^ 
(See report below describing the several activities of this com- 
mittee.) . _ I 

(The actual method of disbursement consisted in the ambassador I 
drawing his check in favor of the treasurer of the committee for the 
amount requested each time, ordinarily £3,000. During the busiest 
time this was not sufficient to last two entire days. Vouchers were 
turned in to me daily and carefully checked. (See also Appendix D. 
report of the treasurer, Mr. Clarence Graff A 

I RELIEF COMMITTEE A 

5. The organization, purpose, and work of this committee is well 
described by its president, Mr. H. C. Hoover, in a letter to the am- 
bassador, a copy of which is attached and made a part of this report. 

27 



f 



28 REP0ET ON EELIEF OF AMEEICAN CITIZENS IN EUEOPE. 

The following is added or repeated in regard to the activities of this 
committee : 

r 

/ ORGANIZATION AND MEMBERS. 

6. His excellency the American ambassador, honorary chairman; 
the American consul general, honorary vice chairman; Herbert Clark 
Hoover, chairman; Clarence Graff, treasurer; Frederick C. Van 
Duzer, honorary secretary ; F. Hessenberg, general secretary Robert 
Annan, Oscar Baldwin, A. Chester Beatty, Walter Blackman, R. 
Gilman Brown, Pomeroy Burton, Jarvis E. Bell, Robert Collins, 
Wilson Cross, R. Noyes Fairbanks, W. F. Fisher, W. E. W. Hall, 
C. S. Herzig, J. D. Hoffmann, Austin Y. Hoy, J. P. Hutchins, B. G. 
Lathrop, A. G. Jeffries, A. F. Kuehn, Chas. L. Lloyd, Bertram Lord, 
A. F. Martin, R. D. McCarter, James MacDonald, George A. Mower, 
Robert R. Porter, Francis E. Powell, Edgar Rickard, H. Gordon 
Selfridge, H. A. Titcomb, Edward Blake Wyman, John Beaver 
White. r 

NWOMEN'S RELIEF COMMITTEE. 

Mrs. Walter Hines Page, honorary chairman ; Mrs. H. C. Hoover, 
chairman; Mrs. J. W. Jenkins, Mrs. A. T. Stewart, secretaries jXMrs. 
Eddy Agius, Mrs. K. A. Davenport, Miss Ethel Bagg, Mrs. J. W. 
Dickson, Mrs. George Fox, Mrs. W. T. Gaunt, Mrs. J. Power Hutch- 
ins, Mrs. B. Lathrop, Mrs. Deane P. Mitchell, Miss Winifred Holt, 
Miss Daisy Polk, Mrs. Frederick Palmer, Mrs. Edgar Rickard, 
Mrs. H. Gordon Selfridge, Mrs. T. E. Shearer, Mrs. George B. Van 
Cleve, Mrs. Lorin Woodruff. 

VOLUNTEER ASSISTANTS. 

Mrs. Baker Carr, Mrs. J. B. Cameron, Mrs. A. Chester Beatty, 
Mrs. Gilman Brown, Miss Carney, Mrs. Catlin, Mrs. Perry Crawford, 
Mme. A. de Grassi, Mme. Del Valle, Mrs. Joseph Fletcher, Mrs. 
George Fox, Miss Claire Goode, Miss Martha Geeley, Mrs. F. P. S. 
Harris, Mrs. Charles Janin, Mrs. Newton B. Knox. Mrs. C. A. Quig- 
ley, Mrs. Frederick C. Poisson, Mrs. J. C. Roach, Miss Rooser, Mrs. 
Selwyn, Mrs. Short, Mrs. Francis Wilcox, Mrs. E. B. Wyman, Mrs. 
Arthur F. Martin, Mrs. Viola Scott, Mrs. Constance de C. Parrish, 
Miss R. P. Benson, Miss V. Green, Mrs. Edward Keen, Mrs. Donald 
Murray. 

There were also other Americans who at times rendered valuable 
assistance, but whose names are not included among those of the 
committee. 

(LOCAL AjSTD accommodation. 

7. The committee was located in the Savoy Hotel, occupying in 
all 7 rooms. These rooms were known as the white room, 69 by 
54 feet; the ball room, 76 by 69 feet; Thomas Cook & Son's room, 
24 by 15 feet; the consul's room, 18 by 12 feet: Mr. Van Duzer's 
room, 30 by 15 feet ; and rooms for a post office and boy scouts. The 
total space available in these rooms was 10,365 square feet.\ The 



REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 29 

number of chairs or equivalent was 310, and the number of tables for 
writing ancLrither purposes was 144. The number of inkstands in 
use was 72. (During the first week 12 beds were set up and used for 
emergency charity cases. With these arrangements for handling 
applicants there was no necessity for their standing in line and all 
could be comfortable while waiting for assistance. For these ex- 
cellent accommodations, as well as the services of many hotel em- 
ployees, the Savoy charged nothing. 

FUNCTIONS OF THE COMMITTEE. 

8. The committee's rooms were open to all Americans from 10 a. m. 
until 5 p. m. The whole of the work, except some clerical labor, was 
carried on by volunteers from the Americans resident in London, and 
every matter of importance to travelers came within the scope of the 
committee's work, y 



( 



DEPARTMENTS AND SUBCOMMITTEES. 



9. General information. — The members of this committee were 
C. S. HerzigAFrank F. Gray, Mrs. Lathrop, Mrs. Agius, E. B. 
Wyman, and Mrs. E. B. Wyman. ^ Information was given in regard 
to transportation, hotels, boarding houses, admittance to public insti- 
tutions, etc. j \ 

10( Registration and reference. — The members of this committee 

were Miss Nina Franstadt^James Fletcher Smith, and O. H. Perry. 

f"All Americans were invited to register and avail themselves of the 

card catalogue made by the committee and comprising the names of 

some 30,000 Americans in Great Britain. 

11. Incoming trains. — This committee consisted of Arthur F. Mar- 
tin and A. W. CatlinA Attention is invited to the excellent report of 
the chairman of this committee, Mr. A. F. Martin, and a copy of the 
published directions. (Appendixes B and C.) 

The following supplementary to his report is added : 

After August 8 members of the committee met all incoming trains 
arriving at Holborn, Charing Cross, Paddington, Waterloo, and Vic- 
toria Stations. f Early in September trains carrying refugees, as a 
rule, came into Charing Cross and Victoria Stations only. The mem- 
bers wore badges at first, with the words " American relief commit- 
tee," but later the words "American committee " only were used, 
inasmuch as it was found that many deserving people avoided the 
members of the committee because they did not desire to receive aid 
from what they believed to be a charitable organization. Placards 
announcing that Americans needing assistance should apply to the 
relief committee were hung on the gates and other places about the 
stations. ^ 

12f Transportation from stations. — As a rule the taxicabs proved 
more satisfactory than the large motor buses and carryalls in han- I 
dling the refugees. \ This was due to the system of handling bag- 
gage (luggage) in England, where checks are not used. With 
the taxicab the luggage could always accompany the owners, but 
when the large carryalls and motor buses were used the refugees 



30 REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

were required to make a second trip to the station. The expense of 
the taxicabs was but little, if any, greater in the end. When very 
large crowds were handled, both taxicabs and motor buses were used. 

13. (Inasmuch as vouchers could not very well be made out at the 
stations, no attempt was made to keep an accurate accounting for 
each individual for the emergency relief extended in the way of 
meals, cab fares, baggage transfer, etc. As much as possible was col- 
lected when the refugees reported at the committee rooms, and the 
shortage was charged to the benevolent fund which the committee 
was disbursing at the same time?} (For the other details in regard to 
the committee, see Appendix B.) 

14. A great majority of Americans were able to take care of them- 
selves and required nothing from the committee. But many appeared 
helpless, and the work of the members of the committee consisted not 
only in giving information, but in disentangling and separating the 
members of one party from those of another, in assisting with the 
children, carrying babies, and handling luggage. 

15/ Cable transfers from America. — The members of this com- 
mittee were B. G. Lathrop, J. E. Erdlets, Peter Vissen, and Ross 
Hoffman. Through the courtesy of the London County & West- 
minster Bank the committee was able to arrange for remittances from 
home for stranded travelers. The facilities were limited to $800 
for each person, and the exchange rate was $5 for £1, the existing 
rate in London. Through the courtesy of the Western Union Tele- 
graph Co., no charge was made until the remittance was received. 
This arrangement was made and put into effect at a time when the 
ordinary forms of cable remittance were practically impossible. 
The total amount of remittances received this way was approximately 
$100,000?\ (See also Mr. Graff's comprehensive report in regard to 
this matter.) 

16X Loans department. — The members of this committee were A. F. 
Kuehn. K. F. Hoffman, Walter Perkins. J. P. Hutchins, A. Y. Hoy, 
Edgar Rickard, and Jarvis E. Bell. The purpose of this depart- 
ment was to provide money to Americans by cashing their bank 
checks and drafts at a time when this conld not be done through the 
ordinary banking channels. This committee also changed foreign 
money — Belgian, French, German, etc. — into English and American 
money. American money was changed into English at the rate of 
£1 for $5 at a time when the banks were charging much higher. 

The amount furnished to travelers by this method was about 
$1 00,000. "V See also reports of Mr. Hoover, pp. 7 and 8, and Mr. 
Graff, pp. 1 to 3.) 

17 '{Emergency assistance. — This department was handled by Mr. 
F. C. Van Duzer, the honorary secretary of the committee in charge 
of the benevolent fund for assisting destitute Americans in London. 
As a rule the single men were sent to Mr. Van Duzer's committee. 
in particular if they were entirely destitute. The class included 
colored men, sailors, and many wanderers without fixed address. A 
good many were unable to write their namesA (See also Mr. Van 
Duzer's report, Appendix F.) 

18. Foreign inquiries. — This was handled by Mr. Jarvis E. Bell, 
who investigated cases inquired about from foreign countries and 



REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 31 

replied by cable or letter giving result of his investigation. (See i 
also the comprehensive report of Mr. Bell attached, Appendix G.) 

Id./Consular room. — An expert of the State Department from the 
embassy was established in this room to pass upon all questions 
arising in regard to the citizenship of applicants for relief. No 
assistance was given anybody who was not a bona fide American 
citizen.^ 

20. Outgoing trains. — This department was handled also by Mr. 
Jarvis E. Bell, who was sometimes assisted by one of Thomas Cook 
& Sons' men. Mr. Bell was present at virtually all trains taking refu- 
gees to the ship. He superintended the embarking, gave information 
and advice, assisted with luggage and children, etc. He handled the 
subject admirably. (For the details of this work, see report of Mr. 
Bell, Appendix G.) 

21^Clothing department. — This department was under the super- \ 
vision of the women's committee and had for its object the providing 
of clothing for the destitute or to those who had lost their baggage 
and needed a change. The clothing was contributed by Americans 
resident in London. The records kept of the distribution show that 
250 persons received clothing, but the records are not complete, and it 
is known the number is considerably larger. % 



C 1 

I women's relief committee. 



22. This committee handled the cases of virtually all unaccom- 
panied women and children who applied for assistance at the com- 
mittee's rooms. Their facilities enabled them to handle as many as 
12 applicants at one time. The activities of this committee covered 
also many other subjects. They responded immediately to reports of 
all emergency cases, such as illness, accidents, hysteria, ' etc. To 
quiet the fears of many caused by nonsensical rumors and to encour- 
age them to seek diversion, a bureau of special information about 
London was established for a time at Selfridge's store, Oxford Street, 
under the direction of Mrs. Gordon Selfridge and Mrs. K. A. Daven- 
port. Trips and programs for each day were planned and permits 
given to visit some of the more private places about London, as well 
as the picture galleries, which at that time were closed to the general 
public. Many of the English people gave their sympathy and help 
to the committee, offering the hospitalities of their homes to the 
stranded Americans.^ (Attention is invited to the admirable report 
of the chairman, Mrs. H. C. Hoover, attached, Appendix E.) 



( STEAMSHIP ACCOMMODATIONS. 



23. Messrs. Thomas Cook & Sons kept an agent with a force of 
clerks in the hotel to arrange passage and provide tickets. Some 
days the agent and as many as 12 clerks were kept busy. In some 
cases, when second-class transportation was provided, people went 
to the steamship companies' offices and arranged there for their 
transportation. But there was an advantage in dealing with the 
agent in the hotel. Time and trouble was often saved, there was no 
standing in line, and people could be comfortable while waiting.^ 

70274—14 3 y 



c. 



32 REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

BOY SCOUTS. 

24. The messenger work for the committee was done by boy scoutsA 
For the first three weeks the number employed was 25. For the next 
two weeks 17, and after this time reductions were made until the 
number was 6. \The scouts received 2 shillings per day each for 
lunch^and their work was reported satisfactory in every way. 

'/ AMERICAN BULLETIN. 

25. This was a four-page daily publication containing news items 
of interest, advice, and information for the benefit of Americans. 
It was published at first by Mr. Gordon Self ridge ; later it was taken 
over by the relief committee. The services in connection with edit- 
ing and managing it were voluntary, and the expense of publication 
was paid from contributed funds. The first copy was published 
August 12, and the last September 24. The circulation was about 
4,000; it was distributed gratis. The following are some of the sub- 
jects about which information was given : Location of relations and 
friends, steamship sailings and accommodations, lost baggage, pass- 
ports, financial assistance, general information as to hotels, boarding 
houses, etc. The Bulletin published more American news, it is 
believed, than all the London papers combinedA 

\ SYSTEM OF HANDLING APPLICANTS. 

26. Upon arrival at the committee's rooms those who desired assist- 
ance were sent to one of the heads of the subcommittees for examina- 
tion as to citizenship, passports, etc., and the necessity for relief and 
the amount required. Those not provided with passports and who 
were to sail third class, or about whom there was a question of 
citizenship, were sent to the consular room. After citizenship had 
been established, applicants were required and helped to make out 
the forms, N \Appendices H to K. One of the officers of nry party, 
either Maj. Boyer or Maj. Hedekin, was on duty at the Savoy, and 
worked with and assisted the committee. 

27. The form, application for relief, shows the character of ex- 
amination to which all were required to submit. When there was a 
question as to the character and identity of the applicant, his story 
was investigated before relief was given him. When applicants 
protested about any decision of the committee they were, as a rule, 
referred to me or one' of the officers on duty with the committee for a 
final decision of their cases. 

28AAs a rule, and when it was believed the individual could be 
trusted, cash sufficient to pay his board bill, transfer his luggage, and 
provide other reasonable expenses were given him. Ordinarily an 
order on Cooks was given for his transportation, and he went there 
and received it. j 



t 



TR A N SPORT ATION . 



29. Most of the transportation furnished was what is known as 
third class. The prices varied about as follows: 

Third class, from $32.50 to $43.75; second class, from $50 to $85; 
first class, from $85 to $200. a 



EEPOET ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 33 

(The committee had wisely decided before our arrival not to go 
above second class in providing accommodations. This was be- 
cause there was little or no first class available, and because funds 
were not sufficient to provide all with first class. In some instances 
where first-class accommodations had been engaged and partly paid 
for, sufficient in addition was advanced to complete the payment.^ 

30. The number of second-class passages furnished was also 
limited — first, because little was available except after a long wait; 
and, second, on account of the expenses involved in keeping people 
in London until such passage should become available. Exceptions 
were, made in the cases of some women, children, and infirm people; 
and to those who were able and willing to part pay or give some 
form of collateral. (See also Mr. Hoover's report, pp. 9 and 12.) 

31/ Summing up from the above, it will be seen that the American j 
citizen needing assistance was met at the train, furnished a meal if 
he was hungry, put into a taxi or motor bus, sent to a boarding 
house or hotel, furnished sufficient cash for reasonable expenses, in 
some cases provided with clothing, furnished transportation, and 
sent away on the train.\ 

/ } 

/ DISTRIBUTION OF RELIEF THROUGH THE CONSULS. 

32. On August 21 I called on the consul general and explained 
to him our mission. As a result of our conference he sent a circular 
to all consuls in Great Britain and Ireland informing them that 
funds were in my possession for the relief of American citizens, and 
that I. was ready to extend relief through them to those in need of 
it.) (Appendix T.) 

33. In a few days consuls began reporting cases needing relief 
and requesting further information in regard to extending it. To 
these consuls I sent the blank forms and instructions (Appendices 
H to L), and informed them that I could not advance the funds 
for the relief of possible future cases, but that I could reimburse 
them for relief extended upon receipt of the forms properly pre- 
pared and signed by the applicant. Checks were promptly mailed 
to those consuls sending in the forms for the cases where relief had 
been extended. 

34. Considerable correspondence developed in regard to the ques- 
tion as to what persons were entitled to relief. A number of indi- 
viduals who had lived in England a long time, from 1 to 20 years, 
applied for assistance and transportation to the United States. 
With the approval of the ambassador those consuls making such 
inquiries were informed that the following questions should be 
applied to each case: 

1. Is the individual a bona fide American citizen? 

2. Is he in need of relief and unable to help himself by reason of 
illness or inability to obtain employment? 

3. Is his condition the result, directly or indirectly, of the present 
political disturbances in Europe? 

Consuls were informed that if the above questions could be an- 
swered in the affirmative, the individual was entitled to relief and 
transportation home. 



34 



EEPOET ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 



35. The following shows the amount disbursed through the con- 
suls up to and including September 30: 



Place. 



Belfast 

Birmingham. 

Bradford 

Cardirl 

Cork 

Glasgow 

Hull 

Leeds 

Liverpool 

Manenester . . 

Newcastle 

Pl5 mouth 

Sheffield 

Southampton 
Swansea 

Total.. 



Amount. 



$234. 87 


17 


91.55 


3 


34.06 


3 


582. 17 


25 


21.00 


2 


57.56 


2 


86.27 


4 


41.51 


4 


99b. 51 


39 


742. 16 


19 


85. 13 


1 


625. 42 


13 


108. CO 


3 


81. 58 


2 


7.40 


1 



3,756.19 



Number 
receiving 
assist- 
ance. 



137 



RELIEF WORK AT GLASGOW. 

36. A few days after our arrival urgent request was made to the 
ambassador by the consul at Glasgow and the chairman of the relief 
committee there as to the necessity of sending funds to Glasgow to 
relieve distress there. It was stated that £500 ($2,500) would be 
needed. I sent Capt. W. W. K. Hamilton, Coast Artillery Corps, 
there with $3,000. Capt. Hamilton had been directed by the ambas- 
sador to report to me for relief work, and I made him one of the 
members of my party. 

37. While at Glasgow Capt. Hamilton's office was at the consulate, 
and he was ably assisted by the consul, Mr. John N. McCunn, and 
his staff ; Mr. Le Roy Webber, vice consul ; and Mr. Frederick Mid- 
dleton, deputy consul, all of whom deserve special mention for their 
help and cooperation. The members of the relief commission at 
Glasgow were all active in rendering assistance, and among those 
deserving special mention are Mr. Montague Baird, Mr. D. H. L. 
Young, and Mrs. E. R. Boyd. 

38. The total amount spent for relief work at Glasgow by Capt. 
Hamilton was $1,736.38 and the number of persons assisted was 32. 
All these received transportation in addition to other assistance. 

/ MONEY TRANSFER COMMISSION. 

39. The news that the Tennessee was bringing gold to Europe for 
the benefit of those to whose credit money had been deposited with 
the State Department had been widely published before our arrival. 
Many had been informed by cable and some by letter that their 
money was on the Tennessee, and they were ready to claim it. Natu- 
rally there was much disappointment when people expecting funds 
on the Tennessee were informed that such funds were not there; 
some indignation and considerable impatience was manifested at the 
delay in receiving their moneyA 

40. (For the purpose of disbursing funds deposited to the credit 
of individuals as soon as possible after the Treasury Department's 
arrangements should be completed the ambassador appointed the 



EBPOET ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 35 

money transfer commission.] The members of this commission were 
the Hon. A. C. Gardner; Mr. Edward Lowry, of the State Depart- 
ment ; Lieut. Commander McCrary, of the Navy Department ; Capt 
H. F. Dalton ; and myself. 

41. (Offices were rented at 115 Victoria Street and arrangement 
completed so that we were ready to begin payment on August 20. 
Authority came on August 21 from the Treasury Department to 
begin payment, but as the Treasury's agent was absent and we had 
no funds for this purpose telegraphic authority was requested of 
you to make payments from the relief fund in our possession. Be- 
cause of the limited amount of these funds it was decided not to pay 
any one depositor more than $500. The fact that we were to begin 
the payment of these funds was published in the American Bulletin. 
Postal cards were also sent to all in London having money to their 
credit, and payment was commenced on August 21. On August 24 
directions were received from the Treasury Department to pay all 
depositors in fullf} 

' METHODS OF IDENTIFICATION. 

42. When individuals arrived for payment and the records showed 
a deposit to their credit, they were required to make out the form 
Appendix M. They presented the evidence of identification in their 
possessions, and they were weighed and their height taken in order 
to verify the description furnished by the State Department. If 
the identification was satisfactory, they were required to sign the 
forms Appendices N to R, and were then paid. All our funds were 
paid out by noon of August 29. The situation was represented to 
the ambassador and he loaned us $15,000 to continue payments until 
the Treasury agent should arrive. The Treasury agent arrived 
August 31, but before arrangements could be completed to disburse 
from his funds, it was necessary to borrow $30,000 more from the 
ambassador to keep the bank open. 

43. As soon as the Treasury fund was available and we could 
make use of banking facilities, arrangements were completed Septem- 
ber 4 to pay by check those outside of London. 

44. The circular letter and blank forms with instructions (Ap- 
pendices N to E) were sent by mail to all those having deposits to 
their credit, and as soon as they were received back, properly pre- 
pared and signed, a check for the amount was sent by mail. 

45. Much difficulty was experienced in having applicants prepare 
the forms correctly. A sample form in pencil with the name, amount,, 
etc., was sent in every case, and even with this precaution a consider- 
able number of forms had to be returned for completion. All this 
caused delay and annoyance to the applicants. It was found that 
many had sailed before the notification had reached them; some few 
did not desire the money and the addresses of others were so faulty 
that the notification never reached them. Attempt was made to 
locate those with faulty addresses, and several were found by means 
of the card catalogue prepared by the relief committee at the Savoy 
Hotel. 

NAMES ON FOREIGN LISTS. 

46. Inasmuch as the names of all those in other countries were 
cabled through the London embassy, a card catalogue of these names 



36 REPORT ON RELIEF OE AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

for each country was prepared. Individuals arriving from other 
countries and applying at our office were paid in the same manner as 
described above. 

AMOUNT DISBURSED. 

47. Up to the close of September 30, there had been paid to those 
having deposits to their credit, in round numbers, $268,000, and the 
number of people paid was 450. 

COMPLAINTS. 

48. To handle such a large number of people under the abnormal 
conditions that existed at the beginning of the war required the 
greatest tact, patience, and forbearance. It is believed the situation 
was handled as satisfactorily as could be expected under the 
circumstances. 

49. The news that the Tennessee was bringing several millions to 
distribute among the stranded Americans, and that the Government 
was to charter ships and send transports to return all travelers to 
America, was widely published. Many believed that the Government 
was to furnish all this free of cost to the travelers. This is illustrated 
by the following instance : A young lady of apparently good educa- 
tion and intelligence frankly showed one of the members of the com- 
mittee a letter from her father in which she was informed that the 
Tennessee was bringing several millions in gold to Europe, and from 
his estimate of the number of Americans in Europe he figured that 
her share of gold was about $500, and she was directed to come to the 
committee and claim it ; and she insisted on having her share. Such 
false news was the basis for many complaints. 

50. It is believed that complaints from refugees came from one of 
the following classes: 

(a) People who objected to taking second or third class transpor- 
tation and insisted on having first class when such was not available, 
and who desired to stay at expensive hotels at the expense of the com- 
mittee until such should be available. The number of people going 
home during August and September was approximately 100,000. Of 
this number, more than 50,000 went home third class. The number 
sent home by the Government funds was about 4,000, so that more 
than 46,000 accepted third class without appealing to the Government 
funds. No second class went out empty until after September 14, 
and first and second class did not begin to be available in any quan- 
tity until September 26. (See also Mr. Hoover's report, p. 12.) 

(~b) People who desired to be supported in England until the war 
is over or until business conditions improve. 

(c) People who became impatient or were " very busy " and de- 
clined to wait their turn at times when there were many cases to 
attend to. 

(d) People who were unable to cash their private checks and 
who apparently believed the Tennessee money was sent for that pur- 
puse and refused to be convinced otherwise. Some of this class, it 
it believed, obtained funds from the Government for no reason except 
that the rate of exchange was better than with the banks. 



REPORT ON BELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 37 

(e) Selfish people and those who apparently believed the com- 
mittee was a paid one, and who did not hesitate to order the members 
to telephone for them, look after their baggage, etc. 

(/) People who objected to what they termed the "impertinent 
questions " asked by the committee in investigating their cases. 

(g) People who were manifestly "grafters," and objected to all' 
investigation of their cases. 

(h) Some people arriving from the Continent stated that they had 
been assured by officials that they would be sent home in chartered 
ships free of cost, with all expenses paid while in London. Com- 
plaints were loud from some when they were informed of the real 
facts. 

(i) A number of individuals with first papers only arrived from 
the Continent and complained much because our instructions did not 
permit us to advance our funds for their relief. 

\J51. statistics/ 

Total number in London receiving assistance from Government 

funds 3, 676 

Total number outside of London receiving assistance from Govern- 

,-nient funds 167- \ 

VjTotal number receiving assistance from Government funds 3, sis) 

Total number of men receiving assistance 1,588 

Total number of women receiving assistance 1, 471 

Total number of children receiving assistance 7S4 

Total amount spent in London from Government fund $148,215.29 

rrjotal amount spent outside London from Government fund $4, 835. 12 , 

QTotal spent from Government fund $153, 050. 4f^> 

Average spent per person $42 

Number of vouchers prepared for expenditure of Government 

funds 2, 2S4 

Number of persons paid by money-transfer commission 450 

Total disbursed by money-transfer commission (money deposited to 

the credit of individuals with tlie Treasury Department) $26S, 000 

Amount received by the committee's cabling department, approxi- 
mately $100, 000 

Amount disbursed by committee's banking department, approxi- 
mately $100,000 

Amount spent from other funds not including the benevolent fund, 

approximately $65, 000 

Total amount obtained through assistance' and spent in Great 

^ Britain and Ireland by Americans as result of the war $686,050 * 

(.Largest number of refugees arriving in one day from Continent 1, 079^, , 

<X ai 'g es t number arriving from Continent in any one week * 5,000? \ 

Largest number of children in committee rooms in one day 400 

r largest number of departures for America in one week_ 19, 000 \ 

Total departures during August and September, approximately 100, 000 

Total number receiving assistance in some form from the relief 

committee approximately 9,200 / 

(commendations. J 

52. Refugees. — While there were complaints from many, as above 
indicated, it is believed a great majority appreciated what was being _ 
done for them, and their actions under the trying conditions are to 
be commended. 

{Relief committee. — Too much can not be said in commendation 
of the members of the committee for their devotion to the work, 
their efficient organization, and the results accomplished. It should 
be remembered that the services of all these good people were all 



38 EEPOET ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

voluntary. They not only gave their own time, but several used 
their own employees, without expense to the Government.^)It is 
believed they accomplished what could not have been done through 
a paid organization. Attention is invited to the names of those who 
gave their services daily. (Appendix A, p. 19.) 

(Mr. Hoover himself labored incessantly for the success of his 
organization, devoting virtually all his time daily to the work?) 

Consuls. — Appreciation is expressed at the hearty cooperation 
and assistance of the consuls and consul general. 

Hotel Savoy. — The management is entitled to much praise and 
commendation for the accommodations furnished for the use of 
the committee and the courtesy shown all Americans. To have 
hired such quarters would have cost several thousand dollars. 

Police, railway, and station officials. — These officials deserve 
special praise and commendation for their courtesy and the assist- 
ance given at the incoming and outgoing trains. 

Officers assisting. — The following officers were on duty during the 
times indicated below: 

Maj. C. A. Hedekin from September 11 to October 2, inclusive; 
Maj. P. M. Boyer, Medical Corps, from August 22 to September 10, 
inclusive; Capt. W. W. K. Hamilton, Coast Artillery Corps, from 
August 20 to October 2, inclusive; Capt. R. R. Ralston, C. PI, from 
September 11 to October 2, inclusive; Capt. H. F. Dalton, Quarter- 
master Corps, from August 17 to October 2, inclusive. Capt. Dal- 
ton was left in charge to close up the work. 

The services of all these officers were excellent in every way. 

D. W. Ketcham. 



( Appendix A. — Mr. Hoover's Report. 

September 23, 1914. 
Hon. W. H. Page, Ambassador of the United States, 

123 Victoria Street, S. IF. 
Dear Mr. Page: In response to your request, I append the following interim 
report on the work done by the relief committee during the pnst seven weeks: 

Historical. 

On August 3 Consul General Skinner informed me of the position of acute 
temporary destitution that had arisen among the traveling Americans as the 
result of the declaration of war and the consequent declaration of a series of 
five bank holidays, several hundreds of Americans, owing to the lack of banking 
facilities, being without subsistence. I gathered such ready cash as could be 
found among my business associates, and, securing some volunteers, opened 
an office at the consulate, where small advances were made, with or without 
security, to tide over until the banks were open four days later. I may mention 
here that pending more effective arrangements we advanced about $4,500 in 
small sums, and that we have since received repayment of all of this except 
about $250. 

FORMATION OF THE COMMITTEE OF AMERICAN RESIDENTS. 

It quickly appeared, however, that the financial crisis, the eclipse of exebange, 
and the suspension of transport were going to give rise to a more than tem- 
porary difficult situation to the estimated 125,000 American travelers in 
Europe; and, further, that the suspension of business would throw many hun- 
dreds of Americans in minor employment into difficulties. Feeling that wider 
measures would be necessary than could be afforded by individual work or any 
existing American organizations, I called a meeting of the leading American 



BEPOKT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 39 

business residents in London, and at this meeting it was decided to expand the 
machinery of the American Society in London (which had for years maintained 
a small bureau for the help of stranded Americans) by forming" The Committee 
of American Residents." The officers of the committee at present are : 

The American ambassador, honorary chairman; the American consul general,, 
honorary vice chairman; H. C. Hoover, chairman; Clarence Graff, treasurer; 
F. C. Van Duzer, honorary secretary. 

We appealed to the resident Americans for two funds, (a) a benevolent fund, 
the subscriptions to which have been to this date $16,333.66; and (&) a fund to 
guarantee our banking operations, to which subscriptions at this date have 
been $41,983.75. 

women's relief committee. 

Mrs. Hoover undertook to convene a meeting of the resident American ladies, 
and the Women's Relief Committee was thereupon formed, and has now the 
following officers : 

Mrs. Walter Hines Page, honorary chairman; Mrs. H. C. Hoover, chairman • 
Mrs. J. W. Jenkins and Mrs. A. T. Stewart, honorary secretaries. 

While the ladies have received direct donations to their benevolent fund 

amounting to date to £ , they have in the main been financed by our 

committee. 

FORMATION OF THE AMERICAN CITIZENS' COMMITTEE. 

Coincident with these measures a meeting of American travelers had been 
called at the Waldorf Hotel on August 3, and a committee was elected there- 
from called " The American Citizens' Committee," by whom headquarters were 
taken at the Savoy Hotel. These gentlemen, being without local experience 
and themselves mostly stranded and intent upon an early return home, could 
be but a temporary organization. Their officers were : 

Theodore Hetzler, chairman ; W. North Duane, secretary ; William C. Breed, 
treasurer. 

They expressed a desire to cooperate with us, and in consequence it was 
arranged with them that members of our committee should be elected to their 
organization. We established branches of our committee at their quarters in 
the Savoy Hotel in addition to the work that we were carrying on at 1 Drapers 
Gardens, at the consulate, and in Southampton Row. The citizens' committee 
proved to be short of workers of local experience, and by appealing for volun- 
teers among the resident Americans we were able to supply this deficiency, and 
in conjunction with them to better organize bureaus of information, transporta- 
tion, hotel accommodation, and other services. The relief measures, however, 
were in the main dealt with directly by our committee. One of the most notable 
services of the citizens' committee was in the cooperation of its banker mem- 
bers with the New York bankers in the rehabilitation of letters of credit. 

The early departure of most of the citizens' committee saw its practical 
extinction about the middle of August. 

During its existence the citizens' committee collected £818 6s. lOd. for relief 
work and £3,019 lis. 5d. for expenses. Of these sums they expended in con- 
junction with us £511 18s. 4d. of their relief fund, and in the end turned over 
to us about £2,884 5s. 9d., being the residue of their expense money and their 
relief funds. 

We have expanded the functions of our committee to meet various necessities 
which have arisen, and the results up to the present time are set out below in 
discussing the various departments. The work of the committee has changed 
materially from time to time. During the first two weeks the service was 
mainly of semibanking order and in providing financial facilities for individuals 
with resources, but who were embarrassed by the existing banking situation, 
together with the elaboration and information as to transportation facilities. 
After that time an increasing number have appeared who were either destitute 
or could offer no tangible security which even with our guaranties could be 
passed through the banks. There were not a great many of such people in 
England at the initial stages, but the flood of people from the Continent has 
become increasingly of this order. Their plight has been due to the more gen- 
eral cessation of continental business, and therefore to the more widely extended 
loss of employment and also to the larger proportion of tourists of the type 
whose journey was initiated on limited capital, now unexpectedly exhausted by 
delays and extraordinary expenses. This flood of destitute Americans reached 



40 REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN" CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

its height in the second week in September, since which time it has much 
diminished. This increase, from a London point of view, was due to the gen- 
eral policy of the officers of the American Government expedition in sending into 
London refugees from many points on the Continent, thus using this committee 
as a sort of clearing house, a service which we have been very glad to have had 
the opportunity to perform. In mid-August we had the honor to be authorized 
by you to distribute for the account of the congressional appropriation then 
in your hands. At this date our funds were practically exhausted and this 
subsidy became most opportune. 

BELIEF WORK. 

All appli cants have been examined as to their resources and divided into two 
broad classes: 

First. Those who had credit documents or resources at home which we could 
turn into cash through our banking cable and exchange and secured loan 
arrangements. In these cases we simply handed over the cash and the people 
arranged their own passages of any quality they liked or could get. 

Second. Those whom we could not induce to take advantage of the above 
arrangements. In such cases we advanced subsistence money and purchased 
steerage passage — with some exceptions mentioned later. 

Banking arrangements. — The following are the departments in this branch: 

(a) Persons with credit documents acceptable to English banks are sent 
there, often with a member of the committee for identification, or alternatively 
we have cashed the paper. We have in some cases entered guaranties at the 
banks for people of this order. 

(ft) Persons who have relatives at home with resources, or having resources 
of their own at home, were required to cable for rnoney. The committee, on 
August 6, effected an arrangement whereby moneys deposited at the Hanover 
National Bank, in New York, became available hereby cable through the London 
County & Westminster Bank. The exchange was effected at $5 to the fl and 
cost of cable, but where the amount was less than $100 the cable cost was only 
deducted as and when money arrived, and the Western Union has stood the loss 
where no money came. Until about September 10 ordinary cable remittances 
were almost impossible, and even where effected the exchange starting at $6.00 
only recently diminished to our rate, and we are now able to abandon this 
department. As remittances through the committee were possible of ultimate 
loss to us or the banks, we limited the amount available to any one person to 
$300. The average remittance was about $200, and up to date $96,755 has been 
received by this method. 

(c) Where applicants possessed American money the committee exchanged 
English money at the rate of $5 to fl. During the early days of the war the 
exchange of currency was usually impossible, and when obtainable was from 
$6.50 to $7.50 for fl. The American money which we brought was kindly taken 
over from us by various American commercial firms, who have held it pending 
restoration of exchange. French. German, and other continental moneys have 
been exchanged in minor quantities to any one individual at normal rates. 
Altogether something like £20.000 has been provided by money exchange. 

(c?) Where the applicants were able to produce identification and recommen- 
dation we have cashed their checks on American banks, and with our guaranty 
we have in turn cashed these at our banks here, thus revolving our own "bank- 
ing capital " resources with rapidity. 

(e) Where the applicant "looked good" and was unable to secure funds 
through any of the above machinery, but had security to offer (chiefly American 
bank deposits, continental money, German steamship travelers' checks or ticket 
orders, drafts of letters of credit on deposits in German banks, life insurance, 
etc.), we have made reasonable cash loans. We carried these operations on our 
" banking capital " until the middle of August, but since the Government funds 
became available we have drawn upon that source in a portion of these cases. 

Unsecured loans. — If applicants insisted that they were without any or suf- 
ficient security, they were divided into two classes: First, those who appeared 
absolutely respectable For these third-class tickets were purchased, together 
with enough money for subsistence until departure. Second, for those who 
seemed doubtful, third-class tickets were purchased, and the tickets were 
handed them upon their presenting themselves at the steamer, their board bills 
being often paid by the committee. We have had some difficulty with the resale 
of tickets by individuals of this type. Tn all cases agreements to repay have 



/ 



REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 41 

been taken and it is our belief tbat tbe bulk of this money will be so repaid, 
because all' but a small percentage are folk of great respectability, for whom it 
has been a pleasure to be of service. ^ ; 

While we have theoretically insisted that professedly destitute people should 
return home steerage, we have made proper exceptions for women, children, 
and infirm persons, so far as accommodations permitted. To have provided 
better accommodations than we have done would have cost three times our 
available funds and would have delayed a large body of people here for months 
at great expense. I have some further remarks to make on the subject 

Other funds— Two other funds have been administered at the committee's 
headquarters which should be mentioned here. First, a fund of some $3,000 
provided bv American Masons for their fellow lodge members and families; 
and second a loan fund of something like $5,000 furnished by the Pennsyl- 
vania Railway and used almost entirely in making advances against the repu- 
diated travelers' checks of German steamship lines. 

Benevolent funds.— There remains a final residue of applicants who have been 
unable to produce satisfactory evidence of citizenship or through illness and 
other misfortunes have fallen upon our benevolent fund. This fund is as yet 
not totally expended, although in the coming winter it must receive reinforce- 
ment Under this heading might also be mentioned the very large amount of 
second-hand clothing which has been given out by the women's committee 
to destitute persons or those whose luggage has been lost. This clothing has 
been contributed by the American residents in London, notably the children s 
clothing presented by Mrs. Page?) One break from the monotony of distress 
has been afforded by a well-to-do American lady traveler who had a newly 
purchased trousseau consigned to the ladies' headquarters— to the value of 
about $175— which was promptly dealt out to destitute people by mistake 
before the owner claimed it. ' , , 

(Summary of relief work.— The total number of persons to date who have 

had financial assistance in some form from the committee is shown by the 

following table: 

„ . . 1K 2,350 

Aug. 4 to Aug. 15 SF - 

Week ending Aug. 22 , j£ g 

Week ending Aug. 29 T 9 _ 7 

Week ending Sept. 4 ; ' ~ §1 

Week ending Sept. 11 ' Qg7 

Week ending Sept. 18 : c^ 

Sept. 18 to 23 

9,231 

All unaccompanied women have been handled by the ladies' committee they 
havng Provided assistance for 1,223 persons to date. 1 1 is somewha t di ifflc jilt 
to determine exactly what total sums have been provided at our hands to the 
return^- Americans, because people who were helped initially from our loan 
SSTSfveTSMi their loans and thus the fund has revolved over again We 
have used to date $135,000 from the congressional appropriation, and have 
from that account provided for some 4,000 persons, covered in some 2,000 
traSactfons or about one-half in number of total. The total moneys made 
available through us for the stranded and destitute by one means or another 
Tp to date amount to $400,000. or about $265,000 in excess of the Government 

** Criticism of our relief system.-^e have had a great deal of friction with 
a n^nr tv of qnnlicants particularly by those who show evidence of extrava- 
t^nSSaSi^dSS^^rlcii officials on the Continent. This revolves 
Sound ^ our insistence on steerage transport in most instances (unless appli- 
cants dX on their own resources through our simple and liberal banking 
demrtmenT) As a result of our system 9,200 persons have either been entirely 
financed home or their means supplemented sufficiently to do so and the total 
S to the Government to date has been $135,000. It is our belief that without 
our suDpiemental banking the whole $400 000 which we have found would have 
Sen on the Government. If we had simply acceded to the demands of a 
minoritv (and in such an event we would have had to make the same arranges 
meTto am and handed out to these people Government money to P^chase 
first or second class accommodations, we should have had them on our hands 
?or from onf to two months until accommodations of this class was available 



42 REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

instead of one or two days. The cost of subsistence and transportation of these 
9,200 people in this manner would have been at least $150 each, or about 
$1,400,000. 

To insist to this minority that they must avail themselves of their own 
resources, aud failing this to go steerage in the face of large appropriations 
which they considered were for their relief, has been disagreeable, and will no 
doubt lend to much complaint. 

On the other hand, a large majority are respectable folk, glad of an oppor- 
tunity to help themselves and grateful for the kindness they have received. 

RAILWAY-STATION WORK AND HOTEL ACCOMMODATION. 

After the 7th of August all incoming continental trains were met by mem- 
bers of the committee. Early in August some 10 or 12 trains arrived daily on 
the services from Flushing, Ostend, Calais. Boulogne, Dieppe, and Havre, but 
early in September the suspension of services from all ports except Flushing 
and Le Havre diminished the number of trains to two or three daily. It was 
early found that many persons were arriving without either goods or money, 
and had to be supplied with immediate money and taken to lodgings. The sub- 
committee engaged on this work selected a series of boarding houses and pen- 
sions of various degrees of expense, and especially places where unaccom- 
panied women could be sent with safety. It has been necessary to daily 
recanvass these places to learn their aA'ailable space and to add others as 
occasion required. At times we have had as high as 2.000 people in lodgings 
under our control. Latterly, with the immediately available transportation, 
it has been possible for the station committee to take considerable numbers of 
night arrivals at Victoria directly to St. Pancras, connecting with the midnight 
boat trains for Liverpool. With the provision of steamship agent on the sta- 
tions and the necessary finance, it has been possible to get considerable num- 
bers away without the expensive stop-over in London. On a typical day during 
the worst period in September about 900 Americans arrived at Victoria Station 
between 9 a. m. and 12 midnight, of whom 620 were sent to selected lodgings 
and 460 had to be advanced money for immediate food on the platform, and 
of whom 232 were women and children without men escorts, 35 persons being 
sent direct to St. Pancras Station for Liverpool. On this occasion our ladies 
and gentlemen were unable to leave the stations until 3 a. in., a not infrequent 
event. Up to date about 5,100 persons have been sent to " committee " lodgings, 
and some, a very large but unknown number, have required minor advances 
upon the platforms. The total expenditure in these cases has aggregated about 
£300, but no more beneficent expenditure has been incurred. 

I would here like to acknowledge the cooperation of the station officials in 
their universal helpfulness, and of the police in the protection of our unac- 
companied women and girls. We have had to call upon these officials with 
frequency, and they have given us the most prompt and stringent support. 

INFORMATION BUREAU. 

A card registration was initiated at the start, and some 30.000 of the persons 
who have attended at these rooms have registered. This index has been used 
by large numbers daily in search of friends and by us in answering cabled 
inquiries from America. A bureau for communication with and discovery of 
the location of friends on the Continent has been carried on and the passing 
of travelers to and from the Continent availed of for the transport of messages 
and money. 

A daily paper, the American Bulletin, was initiated on August ^12, in order 
•to spread useful information as to shipping, etc., beyond the committee rooms. 
This journal has had a circulation of as high as 10,000 daily, and aside from 
its usefulness to the readers has served a great purpose in relieving the com- 
mittee rooms of the rush of from 2 000 to 5.000 callers daily, who previously 
sought the information thus given through the Bulletin 

Information as to boarding houses, hotels, pensions, luggage, accessibility 
of galleries, and a thousand subjects has been kept available by the staff. 

TRANSPORTATION. 

Initially the refusal of English shipping to put to sea and the withdrawal of 
passenger ships for military transport purposes gave great concern as to pos- 
sibility of the regular lines handling the American transport problem. The 



REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 43 

measures taken by the British Navy, however, and the addition to British sail- 
ings of the ships previously in the Mediterranean-American service gave promise 
of gradual solution. By the 15th of August it became apparent that American 
Government transport was unnecessary from England, and we so advised you. 
The movement of Americans is indicated by the following table, compiled from 
steamship bookings from British ports and from the reports of our subcom- 
mittee who met the continental boat trains: 



Arrivals 
from the 
Continent. 



Depar- 
tures to 
America. 



Aug. 4 to Aug. 15 

Week ending Aug. 22.. 
Week ending Aug. 29. . 
Week ending Sept. 5. . 
Week ending Sept. 12 . 
Week ending Sept. 19. 



Unknown. 
2,000 
3,100 
6,000 
5,000 
1,500 



12,000 
19,000 
14,000 
11,000 
16, 000 
15,000 



Early in the citizen's committee's work pledges were obtained from the ship- 
ping companies that no advantage should be taken of the crush to increase 
rates. By criticism and discouragement several speculative transport schemes 
at high rates were wrecked and the regular shipping companies thus encouraged 
to every effort in providing sufficient transport. Agreement with the com- 
panies to refund lost passages and kindred matters were negotiated. Through 
the willingness of the steamship companies to transfer tickets from one indi- 
vidual to another — originally encouraged by the committee — a very unde- 
sirable era of speculation in tickets sprang up by outside agents, who held such 
tickets at large premiums. We considered it necessary, in the interest of the 
whole body of travelers, to stamp this out, and therefore used our influence to 
put an end to the transfer and thus balk those who reserved accommodation 
with no intention of use. We can give practically unqualified testimony to the 
manner in which the regular lines have met every difficult situation. It was 
within their opportunity to have doubled the rates, and more profitable use 
could have been made of many steamers than this traffic. The lines have 
obviously exercised their right to fill up every berth, and many people complain 
of splitting men and women in families, of the injustice of having to pay for 
every berth if they wanted to reserve cabins, etc. The only real basis of com- 
plaint, however, has been that steerage cabins have been converted into second 
class and very rough accommodation substituted. The American Line has been 
the worst offender, and we have, since discovering this, systematically warned 
against this line. 

We have made arrangements by which steamship ticket agents were installed 
directly in our various departments, and this Las greatly facilitated our work. 
At times as many as 30 clerks have been employed by them, and tickets for 
something like 200 first-class, 450 second-class, and 3,500 third-class persons 
have been directly negotiated by the committees and the tickets prepared at 
our desks. Tbese agents have been of further help in the provision of special 
trains for sending steerage passengers and the accompaniment of these people 
direct to the ship. 

We wish to express our obligations to Messrs. Cook & Sons and the American 
Express Co. for their patient and efficient service at all hours, and through 
much difficulty. 

EXPENSES. 

Although our accounts are not as jet made up, we have not at date laid out 
more than £400 on administrative expenses for all accounts, printing included 
The work has been carried on, including much purely clerical work, by gentle- 
men and ladies of large business and family responsibilities. To the. Savoy 
Hotel management is clue our fullest gratitude for the free use over this long 
period of large and luxurious quarters, togetber with their servants. 

IN CONCLUSION. 

In the above resume I have endeavored to convey some description of the 
work which has been performed by the ladies and gentlemen who have given \ 
their time and service to their countrymen in a time of difficulty and distress 



44 REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

and who expect to continue in such work. There is, however, another side to 



their work which can not be described in dry statement of results — the counsel 
and sympathy given to hundreds; the search into byways for the ill and desti- 
tute; the children cared for; the girls and women taken into homes and care, 
together with a host of other patient self-denying deeds. 

Aside from the committee officers — Mrs. Hoover, Mrs. J. W. Jenkins, Mrs. 
A. T. Stewart, Mr. Clarence Graff, and Mr. F. C. Van Duzer — who have given 
their entire time to the work, I have the honor to mention to you the following 
resident Americans who have given practically continuous daily service: 

Mrs. Eddy Agius, Miss Ethel Bagg, Mr. Jarvis E. Bell, Mr. A. W. Catlin, 
Mrs. A. W. Catlin, Mrs. J. W. Dickson, Mrs. Joseph Fletcher, Mrs. W. T. Gaunt, 
Mr. Rose Hoffman, Mr. F. Nessenberg, Mrs. J. Power Hutchiss, Mrs. Edward 
Keen, Mr. Kuehn, Mrs. B. G. Lathrop, Mr. A. F. Martin, Mrs. Donald Murray, 
Miss Daisy Folk, Mrs. C. A. Quigley, Mrs. Edgar Packard, Mr. Edgar Rickard, 
Mr. E. B. Wyman ; and the following who have devoted much time and always 
responded to every call for service :\Mr. Robert Annan, Mrs. R. P. Benson, 
Mrs. J. B. Cameron, Mrs. Perry Crawford, Mr. Edward Curtis, Mrs. K. A. 
Davenport, Mr. J. E. Erdlots, Mrs. George Fox, Miss Nina Frustadt, Miss 
Martha Creely, Miss V. Green, Mr. C. S. Herzig, Mr. Austin Y. Hoy, Mr. J. D. 
Hoffmann, Mrs. P. A. Jay, Mrs. Charles Janin, Mr. B. G. Lathrop, Mrs. A. P. 
Martin, Mrs. Craig McKerrow, Mr. Peter Niesen, Mrs. Frederick Palmer, Mr. 
Walter Perkins, Mr. O. H. Perry, M. J. V. De Raymond, Mrs. J. C. Roach, Miss 
Rosser, Mrs. Henrietta Scott, Mrs. H. Gordon Selfridge, Mrs. Selwyn, Mrs. T. E. 
Shearer, Mrs. Short, Mr. J. F. Smith, Mr. H. A. Titcomb, Mrs. George B. Van 
Cleve, Mrs. Lorin Woodruff, Mr. E. B. Wyman, Miss Margaret Yocom. (" H^i;' 
[A number of others have served loyally with us for days or even weeks. 

Yours, faithfully, , 

H. C. Hoovek. - 

Appendix B. — Mr. Martin's Report. 

Savoy Hotel, London, September 27, WlJf. 
Maj. D. W. Ketcham, 

General Staff, United States Army, 

115 Victoria Street, Westminster, London. 
Dear Maj. Ketcham : Conformable to your i*equest for a statement regarding 
the composition and working of the " incoming train committee," I submit the 
following, which please do not consider as an attempt at an academic digest, but 
rather as a disjointed chronicle, with personal observations : 

ORGANIZATION, INCOMING TRAIN COMMITTEE. 

When this subcommittee was formed we had quite a corps of volunteers from 
whom to select workers. After a few days' vigil at the railway stations, the 
gre t majority faded away and left the following, who have, with occasional 
assistance from Mr. Hoover and others, furnished continuous service and met 
all continental boat trains arriving in London: 

Voluntary permanent members. — Mrs. A. Catlin, Mrs. A. F. Martin, Mrs. 
Quigley, Mrs. Viola Scott, Mrs. Ralph Clark. Mr. A. Catlin, Mr. J. V. de Rey- 
niond (as permanent interpreter). We selected married women for this work. 

Hows of service. — Until about September 1, owing to military movements, 
the train arrivals were most irregular and regardless of schedule; hence it was 
necessary to have delegates at each terminus from 8.45 a. m. until last trains 
arrived, frequently about midnight. During the past three weeks the work 
has been quite easy, as but two railway stations (Victoria and Charing Cross) 
require attention, and from 3.30 until 10.30 p. m., excepting occasionally when 
trains are delayed. 

Badge. — When on railway duty the members of the committee wear silk rib- 
bon with the words prominently displayed. "American Committee, Savoy Hotel," 
and small American flags attached. Each member is supplied with the fol- 
lowing : 

(1) General instructions, epitomized on sheet herewith. 

(2) A supply of English money for exchange and to make immediate ad- 
vances for cabs, porterage, and overnight expenses of those requiring immediate 
financial assistance. 

(3) List of selected boarding houses and hotels passed by the police and, after 
investigation, considered safe and respectable, together with schedule of rates. 



REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 45 

(4) Location card, to be handed to assisted, showing address of committee 
and particulars of place recommended, with price charged for board and lodging. 

During each day a canvass is made of the houses selected and reports ob- 
tained as to the number of beds available for that respective night. 

Police, etc. — Arrangements for the cooperation with the police were made, so 
as to avoid any difficulties or delays due to irregularity of passports or the like, 
and we have to thank them for the innumerable incidents of courtesy and 
assistance. 

GENERAL SERVICES. 

In addition to services rendered to Americans our members haye assisted 
scores of travelers of other nationalities. 

Luggage. — Thousands of pieces of baggage were located and hundreds of lost 
lots found through our committee, to whom the railway officials afforded every 
facility and indulgence. 

Local transportation. — Practically all those financially assisted were fur- 
nished with transport for themselves and baggage from railway to boarding 
houses, and the committee found it necessary to pay for same in about 70 per 
cent of the cases attended to. 

Transfer to boat trains. — Many hundreds of travelers were through this com- 
mittee transferred direct from the arrival station to catch boat trains, thus 
avoiding any delay in London. In some cases arrangements were made and 
money advanced to purchase them steamship tickets. 

Food. — Refreshments were furnished from our funds for travelers requiring 
esame. 

Medical. — Those ill or requiring medical assistance received same gratui- 
tously. 

Interpreter. — As many with American passports or their equivalents could 
not speak English, we had volunteers who understood a little French, German, 
and Russian, and Mr. de Reymond, who permanently every night acted as 
interpreter (for French, German, Hungarian, and Italian), so we were able to- 
understand the requirements of all our " citizens." 

Exchange. — Our committee made money exchanges for small amounts at nor- 
mal rate of exchange to inspire confidence in the affrighted. 

Reception. — Our workers usually awaited the approach of each applicant, but 
endeavored to anticipate their salutations by asking, " What service can we be 
to you?" Hours of waiting, the annoyance and petty vexations of the impa- 
tient, the selfish, the arrogant, and even the rude insults of some brutish pups, 
were all forgotten when the genuine case requiring relief was in evidence; and, 
believe me, the very great majority did want assistance, advice, assurance, a 
friendly smile ; all, even more than money. 

" Thank God, I now feel safe," was a frequent ejaculation when the traveler 
was told that their party was expected at the address we handed them, that 
we would see to tbeir luggage, and that in a day or two they would be on their 
way home — in the meantime to get rest. 

Passports. — In the course of our first conversation the passports or certifi- 
cates were examined, provided the applicants required funds. 

There were occasions when it was after 2 o'clock in the morning when the 
labors of our workers finished and all arrivals had been fed and housed. 

Numbers served. — As close as we can compute from our daily records, the 
following were dealt with : 

Total number sent to our special hotels and boarding houses 5, 685 

Number who received cash assistance or exchange at stations 2. 586 

Approximate number who claimed, to be absolutely destitute 1, 843 

It is not possi^e for me to adequately describe the woeful, pathetic, panic- 
stricken condition of hundreds of the arrivals. Perhaps the most deplorable 
and abject were among the returning Americans who had means, but lacked 
every sense of decency or regard for their country women and children. 
He was the complaining pest wbo would not understand that his money could 
not now purchase any preference with us or with the railway attendants. 
Only with this type of human hog did we have trouble. They derided the idea 
of reMef or reception committee, insulted our women, and complained about 
everything and everybody. 

I do not believe that one single complaint can be legitimately proven where 
anyone has not had. a true spirit of brotherly regard exhibited for him, ex- 
cepting when attempts were made to hoodwink or bleed the committee. 



46 REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

Loud have been the thanks, praise, and regard registered by thousands for 
the promptness, forethought, and liberality of our Government in thus making 
provision for the help of its children abroad. 

Sincere admiration and every conceivable method of honestly expressing 
same has been in evidence on the part of official and civic England for the 
method that has so practically helped and removed those who might well have 
become a burden to this country. 

I now reach the sentiments of our worthy chairman, who has been inde- 
fatigable throughout, and of every volunteer worker on our committee when 
I say that every day — yea, several times every day and every hour — we have 
so often recognized that pathetic, wordless speech of thanks that we feel hon- 
ored and almost glad of the opportunity that is being afforded us to contribute 
our little quota in the working of the grand machinery for ameliorating the 
misery of less fortunate fellow countrymen. 
Very sincerely, yours. 



Appendix C. — Directions foe Helpers at Incoming Trains. 

1. Each one must have a list of boarding places from the committee in case 
the people wish to go there immediately. 

2. Offer them the services of our committee for all information and help 
which it is possible to give them. 

3. Give them a careful note and name of the women's relief committee, Savoy 
Hotel, Embankment. 

4. Ask them to come and register at our office. 

5. If you are of assistance to any woman or child, note their name and 
address. 

6. Carry paper and pencil. 

7. If you should find any case of distress or trouble that needs immediate 
attention, communicate at once with the women's relief committee, Savoy 
Hotel. 

8. While waiting for trains get in touch with porters, policemen, and officials, 
letting them know of our organization, showing them the badge that accom- 
panies it, and asking them to send Americans in distress to us. 

9. Direct women and children of any nationality, but offer the services of 
our committee only to Americans (born or naturalized). 

10. Should you observe any case of apparently undoubted suspicion mention 
it to the nearest policeman. 

11. If you find any American women or children without money and unable 
to come to the Savoy at once, take them to one of the recommended boarding 
houses and guarantee or pay for their dinner and a night's lodging and give 
them 6d. for bus fare to come here in the morning. 

12. Report all expense to Mr. Martin. 



Appendix D. — Mr. Graff's Report. 

Committee of American Residents in England, 

Savoy Hotel, W. C, September 30, 191.',. 

Dear Maj. Ketcham : I am very glad to comply with your request for a brief 
statement of the details of the financial organization in connection with the 
relief work done by the American committee, both prior to and following the 
arrival of the Government funds. 

The need of assistance to traveling Americans first arose owing to the unex- 
pected continuance of bank holidays after August 3 and immediately following 
the declaration of war. 

How this committee was formed by Mr. H. C. Hoover to meet these conditions 
has been so well and fully stated in his letter to his excellency the Hon. Walter 
H. Page that I will confine my statement to the business arrangements for the 
disposal of the various funds collected and which passed through my hands 
as treasurer. 

On organizing this committee we made an appeal for funds to assist travelers 
falling into three classes — those who had credit documents which were in this 
emergency unavailable owing to the moratorium, those who were in difficulty 
owing to the complete failure of ordinary methods of obtaining money by cable 
transfer, and those in actual distress. At the outset the first two classes of 



REPORT ON RELIEF OP AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 47 

travelers were in the majority. We therefore asked for subscriptions to two 
funds — first, a loan fund to be applied to the relief of those wbo bad evidence 
of credit ordinarily acceptable; and, second, a benevolent fund to be applied to 
necessitous cases. 

Responses to the first fund placed at our disposal a sum of about $80,000, 
and the second fund about $15,000. Immediately on the reopening of the banks 
here facilities were also arranged for the cable transfer of money at a fixed 
rate of $5 to the £1. This was done through the kind offices of the London 
County & Westminster Bank, acting in a spirit of broad generosity in fixing 
the agreed rate of $5, notwithstanding that cable transfers were quoted at 
from $6.50 to $7 in small amounts, where available at all, and in making 
these arrangements acknowledgment is due to the Western Union Cable Co., 
wbo generously agreed to send cables, charging the committee with them only 
where, the money cabled for was forthcoming. 

The modus operandi of this part of tbe work was very simple, and was first 
arranged at the offices of Raymond Pynchon & Co., at 1 Drapers Gardens, E. C. 
Travelers were asked to give the name of the person or bank to whom they 
desired to cable, and the cable was written by one of the gentlemen of the com- 
mittee specially assigned to this work. The cable read : " Pay Hanover National 
Bank, New York, dollars, account London County Bank." 

The Hanover National Bank is one of the New York correspondents of the 
London County & Westminster Bank, and was the bank selected by tbem for 
this purpose. 

The cable was then signed by the individual cabling, together with his or 
her London address. When the reply to the cable was received by the London 
County '& Westminster Bank — usually in two or three days,- depending on the 
rapidity with which the response was met in America — immediate notification 
of this" was sent to me, and a post card was then mailed to the person asking 
that he or she call, and the money was paid in Bank of England notes. Those 
returning to America immediately were provided with American currency if 
they so desired. In making these payments the only identification required was 
the comparison of the signature of the person claiming the money with the 
signature at the foot of the carbon copy of the cable sent, and the only expense 
to the sender was the actual cost of the cable outward and a part of the cost 
of the return message to the London County & Westminster Bank. 

Where the amounts were small and the sender expressed his inability to 
afford this charge, it was remitted and debited to our benevolent fund. Where 
no response met the cable there was no charge. 

In a general way these cables were addressed to friends or relatives in 
America, wbo promptly responded, or were addressed to business houses or 
banking institutions with whom the traveler had an account. In some instances 
the cables were not answered, and these were evidently cases where the traveler 
had no direct claim on the addressee, and cabled only on the chance of assist- 
ance being forthcoming. The majority of cables, however, brought replies, and 
about $100,000 was brought to London and distributed by those means. 

The committee feel that they may perhaps be permitted to say that but for 
this machinery of cable transfer set up as above described the demands upon 
the Government funds would have been increased by almost all of the sum thus 
distributed. . ,,, , , 

The loan fund of the committee was treated as a banking matter ; checks on 
American banks and drafts on individuals or firms were accepted where the per- 
sons drawing same satisfied the committee of their bona fides. As most of the 
documents taken were of a banking character, it was possible to sell them to 
banks here, more especially to the branch of the Guaranty Trust Co., of New 
York, thus releasing the amounts advanced and making them again available. 
In this way, though our loan fund guaranteed amounted only to about $30,000, 
we were able to use it several times, and assistance rendered in this manner 
placed over $100,000 at the service of travelers. 

The benevolent fund was administered by Mr. F. C. Van Duzer, honorary 
secretary of this committee and also honorary secretary of the American Society 
in London. Mr. Van Duzer has long had control of the benevolent fund of the 
American Society and was especially experienced in this work. This fund was 
also at the disposal of the women's committee, and most of it was distributed 
by them with great discrimination and sympathy. 

I have thus far referred especially to the conditions prevailing before the 
arrival of the Tennessee and the arrangements for distributing the funds pro- 

70274—14 4 



48 EEPOET ON BELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

vided by the United States Government. The arrival of the Government funds 
relieved the strain on the finances of the committee, but the loan fund and the 
cable-transfer department were continued simultaneously with the distribution 
of Government funds, and, we hope, to the relief of the pressure thereon. 

When the committee was asked by the ambassador to continue its work and 
to undertake the distribution of the Government money a more extensive or- 
ganization became necessary, in view not only of the work but of the responsi- 
bility involved. We had in the meautime moved the cable-transfer department 
to the Savoy Hotel in order that all work of the committee might be concen- 
trated in one place for the additional convenience of travelers. We also at the 
same time asked the well-known London firm of chartered accouutants and 
auditors, Messrs. Deloitte, Plender, Griffiths & Co., to take charge of the 
clerical staff, which was then arranged as follows: Two cashiers were placed 
in the loan department ; here applicants were attended to who had credit docu- 
ments or who were able to give satisfactory assurances of their ability to meet 
drafts upon presentation. All cases were investigated by members of the com- 
mittee — all gentlemen of high professional or commercial standing and expe- 
rience. The vouchers and Government forms were prepared by the applicant 
for assistance, were signed by the gentlemen attending to the case, and were 
then presented to one of the cashiers and paid. 

A cashier under the supervision of the auditors, and supplied by them, was 
similarly assigned to the women's committee and a similar procedure there 
adopted. In these cases the Government forms were attested by a member of 
the women's committee and were presented to the cashier and paid. 

I should explain that applicants for relief were assigned to the various sub- 
committees as follows: Those asking banking accommodation were attended to 
at the loan department. Unattached women were sent to the women's com- 
mittee, and the travelers asking for relief without apparent means of repaying 
advances were, if men, sent to Mr. Van Duzer and Mr. Bell, acting with him; 
if women, to the women's committee, as above stated. 

An auditor's clerk was also placed at the disposal of Mr. Van Duzer and Mr. 
Bell to keep their accounts and supervise and list the Government forms and 
vouchers received by them against payments for steamer tickets and sustenance 
pending the sailing of the steamer to which applicants for relief were assigned. 

In this way all disbursements were under the supervision and control of 
Messrs. Deloitte. Plender, Griffiths & Co. The money required for these pur- 
poses was supplied to me as treasurer by the ambassador in checks of £3.000 
each as and when required, and I supplied the auditors, and through them the 
cashiers, with the currency needed by the various departments, as above de- 
tailed. One of the auditors would then daily collect from the various depart- 
ments the vouchers accumulated in the course of the day and hand them to you, 
receipts in all cases being sent direct to me by post. 

The responsibility of handling the large sums intrusted to the committee 
was keenly realized, and all proper safeguards were, as above described, pro- 
vided for its careful accounting. 

A not unimportant part of the financial assistance rendered was the exchange 
of foreign money, conducted as part of the business of the loan department. 
I can not say exactly how much this amounted to, but it represented a large 
sum, and was done at the best rates of exchange possible. American money 
was exchanged at fl for $5 when prevailing rates were over $6, and the relief 
afforded by this means was not inconsiderable. Belgian, French, and German 
money, whether paper or gold, was also exchanged into English and American 
money at favorable rates. 

The checks as received from the ambassador were deposited in the com- 
mittee account at the London County & Westminster Bank. The staff for 
that part of the work not done by the gentlemen who were members of the com- 
mittee were, with the exception of the auditors and their clerks, supplied by 
Mr. Hoover and myself from our office organizations, and were in all cases old 
and trusted employees. 

This brief description of the efforts of that part of the committee's organiza- 
tion within the jurisdiction of the treasurer's department can not adequately 
convey the amount of routine and detailed work involved and so faithfully and 
ably performed by the ladies and gentlemen of the committee, the auditors, and 
i the employees, without whose fidelity, care, and untiring attention the work 
Intrusted to the committee could not have been done, and we express the appre- 
ciation of the committee of your own unfailing courtesy in the supervision 



REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 49 

exercised by you and by the officers of your command constantly at the com- 
mittee's headquarters at the Savoy Hotel. 
Yours, sincerely, 

(Signed.) Clarence Graef, Treasurer. 

Maj. D. W. Ketch am, 

General Staff, Chief of Party. 



I Appendix E. — Report of Chairman of Resident American Women's Relief 
\ Committee of London. -«- „ M 'O o 

(organization of three committees. 

On Monday, the 3d of August, the work of two committees interested in the 
problems of Americans in distress in London began simultaneously, each with- 
out knowledge of the other's existence.^ By Tuesday each was in vigorous 
operation. ("One was composed of a group of American professional and busi- "\ 
ness men in London who had begun to relieve the financial wants of Americans 
in lack of funds.') These were many, because of their unexpected and hurried 
departure from the war-struck Continent and consequent arrival in England in 
the middle of a bank holiday, which was extended five days because of the \ 
declaration of war. \These London Americans, in their own offices and in the \ 
American consulate, whither they had been invited by Mr. Skinner, the 
consul general, were dispensing, in small sums for living expenses, funds which 
they had been able to gather from their own pocketbooks and cash drawers, 
even though the banks were closed. On Tuesday they became knit into an 
organization known as the American Residents' Committee, whose main ob- 
ject was the temporary financing of the moneyless American 

Simultaneously there had been formally organized in one of the London 
hotels a group of tourist and visiting Americans calling itself the American 
Citizens' Committee. Its chief object was the problem of getting the transient 
American home.N It had been taken for granted by the steamship companies, 
as well as the general public, that the English and German passenger steamers 
would be taken from the service, and as this was just at the beginning of the 
most crowded period of travel from England to America it meant that weekly 
some 10.000 or 15,000 people who had been expecting to sail would be prevented 
from doing so. That is, that some estimated 50,000 or 150,000 Americans in 
England and on the Continent wishing to return to America would be unable 
to do so by the usual channels of travel. (Mr. Theodore Hetzler was chairman ' 
of this latter committee, and Mr. H. C. Hoover of the former. ) 

[The citizens' committee met in the white banqueting room at the Savoy Hotel. I 
By Tuesday afternoon many hundreds of American travelers in the various 
hotels of London had heard of the existence of this committee, and had gone 
to the Savoy to see what it might be doing and to hear experiences and opinions 
of fellows in distress. 

Hearing on Tuesday that this was one of the sights of London, I went in to 
see it, and. was surprised to find large numbers of distracted women among the 
inquirers. It was evident that many of them were in real distress. There was 
only one organization in London competent to deal with this emergency, so 
T asked the executive committee of the Society of American Women in London 
to hold a meeting at the Savoy Hotel the first thing on Wednesday morning. 
It was an interesting meeting. The members stood in a quiet circle at one 
side of the unusually thionged and noisy lounge of the Savoy Hotel, and in less 
than five minutes it formally resolved to found a committee of American 
women resident in London, to deal in whatever manner might be necessary 
with the American women and children in distress in England. I was ap- 
pointed chairman of this committee, with power to appoint as many members 
as I thought expedient. They might or might not be drawn from members 
of the Society of American Women in London, which had been engaged fori 
years in philanthropic work for American women and children in Englandy 
As the most likely spot to reach these people seemed to be this gathering place 
at the Savoy Hotel, I went up to the committee rooms and explained our pur- 
pose to Mr. Theodore Hetzler, and asked if the citizens' committee would feel 
that we were encroaching on their preserves if we established quarters here in 
the Savoy Hotel for the alleviation of what distress was possible among the 
women and children. Mr. Hetzler not only received our proposal with enthusi- 
asm, but later in the day asked me to sit as a member on the citizens' committee. 



50 REPORT ON BELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

As the white room at this time had become so congested that it was literally 
impossible to move about in it, we went to Mr. Louis Neumann, the well-known 
chief of staff of the Savoy banqueting department, and asked if we might not 
have another room. He said that, realizing the crowded condition, he had 
already given orders to have the large ballroom, one of the largest rooms in 
London, put in order for the further use of Americans, and that we might have 
as much of that space as we wished. Within 15 minutes we were established 
in one corner with one small table, the usual writing-desk supply of Savoy 
stationery, and the pleasant gold-backed chairs of the Savoy ballroom. The 
committee at the moment consisted of the executive committee of the Society of 
American Women in London, but telephone messages had already been sped to 
many parts of London calling for well-known workers, whose calm judgment 
and resource could be depended on in such a moment as this; and other mes- 
sages had gone forth for pencils, notebooks, card catalogues, and other essential 
machinery. Fifteen minutes after the doors were opened 000 people were in 
the room, and order literally had to be established out of chaos. For some days 
the whole work of the committee was done in the midst of this pandemonium, 
where it was estimated that there were sometimes 900 people in the room at one 
time. 

Around the sides of the room was a row of tables hastily prepared for various 
departments of the citizens' committee, and also for a branch of the residents' 
committee. Many scores of people were coming to the Savoy hearing that an 
American Relief Committee was there, and then, on arrival, discovered that 
financial relief was only obtainable (except for women) down in "the city" — 
some 2 miles away. As the city office and the consulate were both already over- 
crowded, the simplest method of reaching the people in need who had come as 
far as the Savoy had been to send a branch there, in charge of Mr. Amos 
Kuehu. The American Residents' Committee did for the men (either alone or 
with their families) what we did for women alone — that is, we gave or loaned 
everyone who could prove that he or she was an American, and as such could 
enter the United States, enough money to live upon comfortably, but not luxuri- 
ously, until they could sail for home. And as soon as shipping permitted we 
added to this sum enough to pay their third-class passage home. 

As an aside I may say that we were frequently upbraided for sending prac- 
tically all of them third instead of second, or even first. But when one realizes 
that practicaly all the first and second class passages were booked up until 
the middle or end of October, and that some 30,000 or 40,000 more who had not 
been expecting to leave so soon were suddenly clamoring for passages, it was 
evident that unless third-class accommodation was used for most of those who 
usually traveled second or first the last of them would not be able to sail until 
far into the new year. This also does not include the 50.000 or more reported 
to be on the Continent anxious to leave, and quite aside from the rather impor- 
tant point of whether we could obtain money enough to send all these second if 
it were possible, which is was not. So the question up to us was whether, since 
we were dealing with our own democratic countrymen, we could make any dis- 
crimination and give perhaps 200 possibly available second class to our appli- 
cants. We decided unanimously and emphatically " No." What we could not do 
for all could not be done for a very few. And so the only ones whom we sent 
second were either the very old or the very young, the particularly frail, and the 
really ill. Of course this does not mean that we did not help everyone in every 
way to obtain their own money to purchase their own ticket first or second class, 
either by cabling through the resident committee's excellent system, by ex- 
changing their American money or credits, or loaning them their living expenses 
while they wrote. 
^Honorary chairmati. — The American Residents' Committee were immeas- 
urably fortunate in having the American ambassador. Dr. Walter Hines Page, 
as their honorary chairman, as we were in having Mrs. Page for ours. Mrs. 
Page not only knew and was interested in all the details of our work, but her 
advice in our many intricate problems was invaluable. There were very few 
days during the crisis when she did not spend some time in the committee room, 
and we always had a store of questions laid by ready for her solution. Her 
keen insight, quiet decision, and excellent judgment were as great assets to us 
as was her warm sympathy for all those in distress.', 

EARLY ACTIVITIES. 

We found that a great majority of the women who came to us were frightened 
and needed only reassurance. Many had had very trying experiences on leaving 



REPORT ON BELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 51 

the Continent. There were a great many absolutely without funds for the 
moment. Most of them had only just arrived at their boarding houses, were 
not expecting their bills to be presented for a week, had credits which 
they believed would be perfectly good when the banks opened, and needed to 
borrow a small sum for bus fares and trifling expenses until Friday, when the 
banks were supposed to reopen. Besides money we gave advice on every possi- 
ble subject that a resident might know and a stranger be ignorant of. 

Constant inquiries for lodgings developed our lodging department. Tales of 
girls arriving at stations after midnight with no idea where to go and finding 
undesirable advice from would-be friends on station platforms, caused a hastily 
organized but most efficient " meeting-the-trains" subcommittee." One of our 
frequent occupations was consoling and encouraging stray members of broken 
families. There is no conceivable family tie that we did not find broken, with 
one of the component parts desolate in London, the other lost on the Continent. 

Queerly enough the militant suffragists were the indirect cause of one of our 
activities. They had been too destructive in museums and got lines only a few 
months earlier, with a result that those holding real treasures were nearly all 
closed to the public. Consequently dozens of times a day we were met by the 
wail, after money matters were settled, " But just think of it! This is the only 
time I shall ever come to Europe and now I can't get to the Continent. And 
I can't see a Raphael Madonna, or the British Museum, or the Greuzes and Van 
Dykes in the Wallace Collection, or the Tate Gallery!" That was a tremendous 
tragedy to college girl and school-teacher, and one more within our reach of 
settlement than the war clouds of Europe. The director and governor of gal- 
leries also appreciated the position, and were more than willing to meet it. 
Any American for whose actions a member of the committee would become per- 
sonally responsible might have a permit to enter these institutions for a few 
days, in limited numbers only, but later for any number. 

Largely to meet this situation, and also to give opportunity for making per- 
sonal friends and thus helping to relieve the tension, a teachers' and college 
women's club was formed, under a subcommittee. Mrs. Walter Hines Page was 
honorary chairman of this, and the first meeting was held at her house. Mrs. 
David Starr Jordan was chairman and Mrs. Frederick Palmer, secretary. 
There were some ISO members enrolled and a number of meetings were held in 
the houses of different American college women resident in London. Members 
were given permits to visit galleries and museums, and itineraries arranged for 
trips in the vicinity. 

Within a few days the expressons of gratitude for services received through 
this subcommittee were so widespread that we were besieged by others begging 
for like privileges, "even though we are not college girls." Our real work of 
interviewing applicants for relief was seriously hampered by the absolute 
crowds wanting permits to enter museums. So another subcommittee was 
formed to assist any American woman to see what she most wanted in London. 
To relieve a little the pressure of the crowd in the Savoy hall and banqueting 
rooms, it was decided to establish this subcommittee elsewhere. As Mrs. Gor- 
don Selfridge was chairman, we asked her ever-generous husband to provide 
quarters for it in his store, which he readily did. Here some hundreds of 
women repaired every day for supplemental advice and assistance in this par- 
ticular direction. As the demand for gallery permits became too widespread to 
make it possible for the committee members to become personally responsible 
for damage done by any suffragette who might make her way in by one of our 
permits, most of the galleries decided later to accept American passports vised 
by the London consul. Sirfce few travelers had passports at all, there was a 
great rush for these. And at this time Ambassador Page established a passport 
secretary in one of our rooms at the Savoy, and a queue, ofttimes necessitating 
two hours' waiting, sat here all day. It is also worth noting that it sat. No 
queue had long to wait for any of our departments that the Savoy staff did not 
provide chairs for it. 

Our entire work during these few days had been done in one corner of this 
great ballroom, in a vitiated atmosphere, with a bedlam of sound about, and 
the distraction of 20 other counters, each doing its own little work, and all 
ramifying through this mass of from 61)0 to 900 overtense atoms of humanity. 
When we arrived at 9.30 in the morning it was to find a crowd which had 
apparently been waiting hours. When we left, any time between 6 and S, the 
room was not yet empty. It is impossible to realize the distracting fatigue 
with which one was overcome upon leaving, nor, therefore, the joy with which 
Mr. Louis Neumann was greeted one morning about the end of the first week, 



52 EEPOET ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

when he conducted our women's committee to a large reception room opening 
off the ballroom. At the beginning of the war this room had been turned into 
a storeroom and piled high with bacon and flour and other supplies, upon 
which the Savoy was to depend in case of shortage of foodstuffs in England. 
Supposing at first, as we did, that our work would be a matter of a few days' 
duration, Mr. Louis Neumann had not bethought him of emptying this room for 
It ; but as its prolonged nature became evident he had this very pleasant, cool, 
quiet retreat arranged. Our "first aids-" continued their work in the ballroom, 
but only the real applicant passed the barrier to be interviewed in peace here. 
/The women in need of our assistance in those first weeks were of the varying 
tourist type — mostly well to do, fairly resourceful, making the best of the situa- 
tion, ready to accept cheerfully the inevitable.*") Cases of hysteria, of course, 
stood prominently to the fore; but, on the whole, the percentage was satisfac- 
torily small. Three cases of temporary mental derangement were brought to 
me, and, most unfortunately, one suicide of a woman who was suffering from 
a severe illness and had had a very trying journey from the Continent while 
separated from her family. The average in mentality and financial standing 
became noticeably lower in the third and fourth weeks, when there were many 
more cases on the verge of destitution and a much higher percentage of typical 
Americans who had been living in England or France for some years on very 
small incomes, which were now being withdrawn altogether. 
("Closely on the heels of these came the great transmigration of the German and 
Austrian American. They were the emigrants of a generation or two ago, who, 
with the children, had been back to visit in the " old country." The majority 
who came to us were returning to the husband and father who was at work in 
America. A. few, no doubt, had never expected to return again; but we could 
make no distinction. If they reached London on the return and had pass- 
ports or other proof of a long residence in the United States we felt we could 
make no discrimination as to who might go on and who must be sent back. 

In the end hordes of these were in abject destitution and provided the basis 
for the most true relief which we gave, although we had not contemplated this 
class at all in the beginning. 

A volume could be written of individual cases, tragic and comic; of the dear 
little mother with her 6 months' old baby, who had lost her husband in a crush 
on a German platform; of ladies who insisted on having a guarantee of the 
invulnerability of an English boat to German shells; of the one who insisted 
on baving " $300 of that Government money to continue my year abroad on, for 
there is no one who needs it more than I do " ; of the large family who insisted 
on staying at least a fortnight in an expensive Savoy suite and then returning 
first class on a large boat, threatening a dire adverse press campaign if the 
committee refused. Also there were the three little girls under 15 from a Bel- 
gian convent, having a romantically exciting time, and the lone little one of 12 
whose wide, terror-filled eyes had seen more of war than a little girl should. 
There was the woman who came the $3 train journey back from Liverpool, let- 
ting her boat sail without her. because she " did not like the looks of the other 
passengers." (And it is worthy of mention that Mr. Moon, of Cooks, gave her 
another third-class ticket on the next book without charging us again.) There 
was the lady who insisted on our loaning her a few. thousand dollars to open 
a very speculative business; and the one from Hungary, very ill, under the 
doctor's care, and unable to eat the most delicate of broths and chicken and 
eggs, until wise Mrs. Dickson, from some exotic restaurant, took her in a huge 
meal of quaint sausages, sauerkraut, and accompanying dainties, all of which 
she consumed ravenously and began improving forthwith. I 

FINANCING. 

The funds for our work we had expected to find ourselves. For the first few 
days it seemed necessary to provide only enough to keep the people until the 
expected Government transports came for them. We accepted contributions 
for a fund to provide for the absolutely destitute, and the American Residents' 
Committee, usually referred to as " the men's committee," most generously 
offered us any amount we might need from their loan fund. They had early 
divided their fund into a benevolent fund, like ours, and a "loan fund," from 
which to supply the great majority of applicants, who only wished to borrow. 
The donors to this loan fund expected a return of from 70 per cent to 90 per 
cent of tbeir contributions. Since we could secure many contributions ourselves 
for this loan fund, we did not hesitate to use it, and thus almost from the begin- 
ning we were relieved from any anxiety as to imminent embarrassment to our 



REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 53 

treasury. During the second week of the crisis the British fleet had so com- 
pletely cleared the north Atlantic of German war vessels that British shipping 
was resumed, practically intact, the only shortage being in the boats transferred 
to the Admiralty. Since third class on the better boats was much more com- 
fortable than passage by Government transports, the dispatch of the latter was 
canceled. Ordinary European emigration ceased; wherefore almost the entire 
third-class accommodation crossing the Atlantic became available for the 
" stranded " tourist or the resident abroad anxious to hurry home. The desire 
to return was so great that there was a tremendous rush for these passages by 
the well to do who chanced to have available funds at hand, and for the next 
10 days it was difficult or impossible to get third-class accommodation for an im- 
mediate sailing. So it was still only in cases of great emergency that we sup- 
plied the funds for applicants' passage home. But we were keeping a large 
number of women and children by giving or loaning them small sums for lining 
expenses from week to week. During this time the men's committee bad per- 
fected their cabling arrangements, whereby Wells Fargo put their cables 
straight through to applicants' relatives, banks, or friends to have necessary 
deposits made in tbe Hanover National Bank in New York. As soon as such 
deposit arrived the telegraph company notified Raymond Pynchon & Co., in 
London, and this firm paid the same amount, less cost of cabling, to the appli- 
cant. Great numbers of the people we were supporting obtained funds in this 
way, paid us back their loans, and bought their own tickets for America, nearly 
all of them necessarily third class. Of course, one of our members helped those 
too inexperienced to do this easily themselves. 

During this second week word was received of the departure of the II. S. 
cruiser Tennessee for Europe with a commission and funds to be distributed 
to the various affected countries for the purpose of assisting Americans home. 
Our committee then looked hopefully forward to an early dissolution, and its 
•members had mostly allocated their future work to Belgian, English, French, 
or German, with perhaps the continuation of our work on a small scale with 
the really destitute who. for one reason or another, could not or would not 
return to the United States. But this was not to be. Instead we were begged 
to continue on a much larger scale than we had been doing, and continue to 
loan passage and expense money to all American women and children while the 
transmigration lasted, and to obtain the funds therefor from this same Govern- 
ment commission. 

While we had enjoyed the past work, we were not desirous personally of 
continuing it. The novelty, in one sense, had worn off. and another and cer- 
tainly more romantic work was calling us, as individuals, from all sides. But 
we did see that we could do this work much more satisfactorily to the recipi- 
ents than could any paid staff which the commission could possibly get to- 
gether in England. Aside from the experience our work in the first three 
weeks of the crisis had given us— and even modesty did not prevent our 
acknowledging that it was considerable— we had many advantages over such 
a staff. The mere fact that every member of my committee was at work 
solely because of the good that she could see she was accomplishing con- 
tributed to its efficiency. They were all Americans who had lived years in 
England, and who were perfectly familiar with all the problems of the trav- 
eler. With insignificant exceptions the whole of a paid staff must have been 
English, the members knowing nothing of American conditions or customs, of 
the detail and intricacies of the system of modern travel, their interviewing 
would have been ineflicient from the commission standpoint, unsympathetic 
and often stupid from that of the applicant, Lacking in the essentials for 
making nice discriminations in the very questions they had to meet, when 
even the vocabulary of the two sides would have been vastly different, they 
must have bungled their results. And, besides, they would have nothing but 
their iron-bound Government funds to work with. We always had our own 
benevolent fund and the loan fund as a second force to draw upon for deserv- 
ing cases of any kind. In our imagination we could see many women in acute 
distress because of noncomprehensive, misunderstanding, and -rigid Govern- 
ment limitations. The Americans seemed to need us to stand by our task and 
so we stayed on. From August we worked in collaboration with the American 
Government commission in London. '_ 

After we began working with the Government commission the detail was a 
little more onerous and took more of our time and actual clerical work per 
case When it was found that we had to come to the actual financial assist- 
ance of an applicant the appended papers had to be filled out in duplicate, 



54 EEPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

including the estimate in detail of traveling and living expenses. Then a 
receipt was signed for the amount, with a draft on the nearest or most re- 
sponsible relative or friend in America. In cases where it was absolutely 
impossible to give the latter, a note was taken instead. The money was then 
taken from our benevolent fund, and each night the papers for the day were 
gathered together and sent to the Government commission, who returned us 
the cash for all the cases that came within their scope. 

American wives going to rejoin their husbands in South America, mission- 
aries returning to India and Greece, American women obliged to travel other- 
ward than to the United States we had to finance ourselves; also the many 
cases in desperate need, yet unable from one cause or another to leave 
England. 

To October 1 the amount taken over by the Government was £9,4S9 4s., or 
$47,446, caring for approximately 558 women and children. There was £162 6s. 
($811.00) spent from our own benevolent fund on 40 different cases covering 
not more than 60 people. Over £60. or $300. was spent in emergency work by 
the train committee, most of this being necessarily done under such stress of 
time and circumstance that it was imposible to go into elaborate interviews, 
make out duplicate Government sheets, and obtain receipt and draft for each 
few shillings distributed. 

Our office expenses probably amount to only £30, or $150, but these had 
not all come in when this report was being prepared. Our office expenses and 
the work of our train committee both had to be paid out of our benevolent fund 
unfortunately, the Government commission having no authority to meet such 
expenses, although, of course, it was an integral part of the work of getting 
Americans home. And equally, of course, such expenses were but a small 
fraction of what their own expenses would have been if they had had to em- 
ploy a paid office staff iustead of using our organization. 

GENEROSITY OF SAVOY HOTEL. 

The main reason, of course, that our expense account is so very light is that 
our premises were given to us absolutely free by the Savoy Hotel. We had 
as many large, charming rooms as we wished to use, beautifully furnished, 
supplied with innumerable electric fans, limitless jugs of ice water and clean 
glasses, cloak and toilet rooms, electric light, and very adequate and most 
devoted attendance. The staff took the deepest personal interest in the doings 
of the committee and its " clientele," and every member of it was ever ready 
to give any possible assistance. The example was, of course, set by Mr. Louis 
Naumann, a just appreciation of whose services to Americans in the summer 
of 1914 can never be made. The Savoy management say that it has been so 
libera ly patronized by Americans in the past that it is very glad to show its 
appreciation in this hour of the American traveler's need. But, nevertheless, 
even with this explanation, its service remains unique, and is one which only 
the American public again can ever requite. 

EFFICIENCY OF COOK'S STAFF. 

Likewise our committee, as well as the men's, are under great obligations to 
the staff of Messrs. Thomas Cook established at the Savoy. There was no 
question of choice of agency for us. as Cook held an agreement with the Savoy, 
allowing no other agent in the building. But I should like to add a word of 
appreciation of the services of their manager in the hotel, Mr. Moon ; his 
assistant, Mr. Craven; and their very obliging staff. They were at the hotel 
from 9.30 until 6 o'clock, or often later, in the evening. They took care of the 
special cases of our committee and also of any general public who applied here. 
There were sometimes as many as 30 clerks busy at ouce, and we never had an 
instance of irritability or discourtesy shown toward any of the committee or 
their "cases," and sometimes, it must be confessed, the latter were very trying. 
We occasionally had complaints from the public of overbrusqueness from some 
Cook's clerk; the various cases were attributed to the same individual, and 
his methods, after a little watching, were discovered to be often far from polite. 
When the matter was brought to Mr. Moon's attention, he did not even admin- 
ister a warning; 10 minutes later the objectionable person had disappeared. 
Although their business was exclusively to sell steamer tickets to anyone 
applying for them, Mr. Moon and his staff took a personal interest in the com- 
mittee's charges and constantly give advice of great value. Mr. Moon himself 



EEPOKT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 55 

usually went down to see the midnight trains off— quite outside his official 
duties — and also arranged to have some of his company's representatives at 
the Liverpool station to help the third-class passengers across the city to the 
boats. 

THE WORKING SYSTEM. 

When our organization was in its final stage and had moved once more — 
this time to the white banqueting room upstairs — it had the following form : 

The table reserved for Mrs. Page sat at the end of the second room, from 
which she could see all departments and the entire "clientele." Mrs. J. W. 
Jenkins, one secretary-treasurer, had her desk in one of the great windowed 
alcoves overlooking the embankment. Here she had direct oversight of the 
professional accountant and his books and cash boxes, who sat in the passage- 
way opening from her alcove into that of Mrs. Stewart. On the other side was 
the desk of her stenographer and the committee files. Mrs. Jenkins had charge 
of the clerical staff, correspondence, expenses, and of the running machinery 
of the entire committee, which left her practically no time for the real relief 
work. Mrs. A. T. Stewart, the other secretary-treasurer, with her desk in the 
arch of the other alcove, was in charge of the latter department, the giving of 
financial assistance. From August, when we had the Government funds to draw 
upon, the cases for relief were divided sharply into two divisions — those wishing 
to make temporary loans to return home, and those of absolute destitution who 
wished assistance in some other form than a passage to America. If in the 
interview the committee member had been satisfied of the applicability of the 
former relief, details of the case were taken up, the cost of suitable passage 
on the first available boat, lodging and board until time of sailing, financial 
expenses of luggage haulage, bus and cab fares, etc., were calculated; doctor's 
bills, medical supplies, special food occasionally — all sorts of living expenses 
while traveling had to be gone into. When this little budget had been made 
out it was translated into dollars and cents and entered in detail on the dupli- 
cate Government forms. A receipt for the amount was signed and also a draft 
for the same upon the nearest or most responsible relative in America. If 
there was no one upon whom a draft could be drawn, a note was taken instead. 

These papers, quite in order, were presented to the cashier and the money 
obtained. When the parties seemed responsible, as they usually were with 
the women, the cash for the small expenses was given them, together with a 
card upon which was written detailed instructions for catching trains, trans- 
ferring luggage, etc. The steamship ticket was obtained from Thomas Cook, 
& Sons in the same room. In the first days of our oecup-'ncy of the white room 
much time was wasted in running back and forth to Cook's office downstairs, 
so Mr. Moon, Cook's manager here, at once acquiesced in our request for Cook's 
clerks of our own upstairs. We had a long table, with sometimes as many 
as seven at one time, busily engaged in filling out the voluminous steamer 
tickets for us. 

Mrs. Stewart's constant assistants in this work were Miss Daisy Polk, Mrs. 
Edgar Rickard, Mrs. John Power Hutcbins. and Miss Ethel Bag?. Mrs. Peter 
Augustus Jay gave two days a week to it. Mrs. Craig-McKerrow and Miss 
Catherine Fletcher averaged about as many, coming in by telephone summons 
when the work was unusually pressing. When we were overcrowded Mrs. 
Agius, Mrs. Dickson, Mrs. Jenkins, and myself gave to this work what time we 
could spare from our ordinary duties. On a few of the heaviest days there 
would be some hours when 12 of us would be engaged on this stage of the 
work. This branch of the committee took care of the financial wants of 
over 1,300 people, expending thereon over £9.S00, or more than $49,000. 

Mrs. J. W. Dickson's own work was known as "outside special cases"; 
illness, temporary mental derangement, and one death occupied much of her 
time, as did cases of doubtful nationality or other suspicious conditions which 
could not be fathomed in the committee room. The amount of good accom- 
plished by Mrs. Dickson in these weeks was immeasurable. 

Mrs. Agius and Mrs. K. A. Davenport held the preliminary interviews before 
the applicants passed up to the finance committee; they saw that the passports 
and credentials were in order, that the Government duplicate forms were 
properly filled in and carried through the preliminary investigation. Often 
they found that there was no need for the applicant to borrow, that she 
possessed some form of money or security not good on the Continent, hut quite 
easily negotiable in London, or that she had relatives at home to whom she 
could appeal through our cable system. 



56 REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

My desk was at the end of this room, having a complete survey of it, and 
through the broad door of most of the further room. I was used chiefly as a 
court of appeal, and never did 10 minutes of the day pass that more than one 
case had not come up for decision because it possessed an original problem not 
yet passed upon. 

In the other room, near the entrance door, were our information and registra- 
tion departments, presided over by Mrs. Ben Lathrop, Mrs. Edward L. Keene, 
Mrs. Donald Murray, and Miss Fraustadt. The card registration was be- 
queathed to us by the citizens' committee, and on September 30 we estimated it 
contained 40,000 names. The home and London addresses were given, the 
expected date of sailing, and other details. It was consulted hundreds of 
times a day by visitors looking up friends and relatives of whose whereabouts 
they were ignorant. Information was given whenever possible about people, 
what to do in London in all imaginable contingencies, upon hunting lost prop- 
erty and lost baggage, upon the date of sailings and relative classing of boats, 
etc. Iu these departments was a bevy of devoted assistants — Miss Huth, Miss 
Green, and Miss Armsby. 

A department that was strictly informational, but located in the other room 
next to Mrs. Jenkins, was the lodging-house department under Mrs. T. W. 
Gaunt, with Mme. de Valle and Mrs. Shearer helping. It had a list of pensions, 
small hotels, and lodging houses of all classes. Many of them were known by 
members of the committee, many others had been personally investigated. 
When the demand became too great to be filled in this way, lists obtaiued by 
answer to advertisements were taken to Scotland Yard, whose officials through- 
out were most courteous in assisting the committee. Here the addresses were 
penciled as known to be " respectable " or " questionable," or else as " un- 
known." Mrs. Gaunt also had a long list of rooms and houses offered free to 
Americans, many of them from English ladies and gentlemen. Literally dozens 
wrote asking me to send them from one to eight " guests " for a given length of 
time. This was in the early days before the English troops had gone to the 
front and before all houses were being prepared to receive wounded soldiers and 
sailors. 

Around the remainder of this large room were the " man-with-a-family " 
department, the cable, banking, and other departments of the American Resident 
(or "men's") Committee. 

In the center and at the entrance were Mrs. Joseph Fletcher, Mrs. Wyman, 
Mrs. Duane, Miss Greeley, Miss Benson, and other volunteer assistants, acting 
as " first aids," directing people to the different departments, and dispens- 
ing friendly sympathy and cordiality. It was found that many visitors 
needed most a kindly ear to listen to recent harrowing or supposedly harrowing 
experiences. That obtained, they went away with more calm and cheer. In- 
deed, upon two or three days there were decided scenes, almost " demonstra- 
tions," when, because of unusually large and nervous crowds, it became abso- 
lutely necessary to place a guard at this door and to insist upon the general 
reception taking place downstairs in the ballroom. On those days only a lim- 
ited number of applicants for material benefits were permitted to enter the 
executive committee room at a time, and those only after having been numbered 
In the big reception room. 

Outside these rooms, but just across the circular hallway, was the clothing 
department. During the first day that the committee was at the Savoy, when 
it knew neither the time nor the duties that lay before it, a few bundles of 
clothing were brought in by kind friends who read of the unfortunate American 
tourists arriving without baggage. But in those days no one wanted old clothes ; 
they were mostly well-to-do, wide-awake people, who were here because they had 
been keen enough to take the first warning about leaving dangerous country. 
When they found their baggage had not accompanied them they wanted to 
borrow 10 shillings or £5 to go out and buy a few cheap things, and when they 
found that Selfridge's stores would sell to " stranded " Americans on their 
home bank checks they were mostly provided for. But at the end of the third 
week a few of a different sort came through who were very glad to avail them- 
selves of what we had. Their numbers increased until it became necessary to 
have some one dispensing clothes constantly, and appeals went out for " more " 
at frequent intervals. Mrs. Roach then took charge of this department, and, 
with her niece, Mrs. Cameron, did valiant and loving service. Mrs. Roach 
really enjoyed fitting out a baby in appropriate garments; and she was in rap- 
tures one day when our appeal for more had not been well answered and Mrs. 
Walter Hines Pnge bad sent in great boxes of beautiful new things purchased 
from one of the charity workrooms. 



REPORT ON RELIEF OP AMERICAN" CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 57 

Down a flight of stairs was another smaller ballroom, often turned into a 
creche. Sometimes more than 20 children were cared for at once here, with 
two of the Savoy's maids and a patrol of Boy Scouts doing duty as nurses. 

A subcommittee that was not even located in the Savoy, but which was one 
of our most valuable, was that known as the " train committee." This had 
grown into a very competent organization. The Government had early pro- 
hibited channel crossings except by daylight, so shortly no train from conti- 
nental boats arrived before 5 o'clock in the evening, but they continued to 
arrive at weary intervals until midnight and often until 2 o'clock in the morn- 
ing. Mr. and Mrs. Martin, Mr. and Mrs. Catlin, Mrs. Quigley, Mrs. Scott, Mrs. 
Alfred Clark, and others were indefatigable here, and were greatly blessed, as 
was Mr. Jarvis Bell, who spent the day in charge of the " man-with-a-family " 
department of the men's committee and then stayed up half the night meeting 
trains,- and enjoyed it. The arriving passenger wanted to know respectable 
places to stay, to be directed to the committee rooms next day, to know how 
to start to search for lost baggage, where to send for a doctor, and very often 
to borrow 5 shillings to pay little incidental expenses till next morning. To- 
ward the end, on the nights when the big trains came in from Germany and 
France, so many arrived (and were expected, thanks to telegrams to the 
embassy) that all the empty rooms in a number of medium-priced hotels would 
be engaged and a row of special busses chartered, so that the passenger would 
be hurried at midnight from train to bus and bus to hotel, and, literally, would 
be delivered wholesale. There have been as many as 400 arriving thus at one 
time. 

Occasionally, also, some of our committee would go down to see the midnight 
boat train off, all third-class boat trains leaving at that hour. Mr. Bell was 
always there to see everything settled (and very often to pay the last little 
bills of our passengers, which had come up unexpectedly and were too heavy 
for the estimated funds) and to meet last emergencies. Mr. Moon and one or 
two of his assistants from Cooks were always there also — pure acts of kindness 
on their parts, quite outside their duties. 

Maj. Hedekin during the last three weeks and Maj. Boyer during the three 
preceding had been the Government representatives stationed in the committee 
rooms. To them we could turn for instant decision as to the Government's 
attitude upon any mooted point, and both we found to be most helpful and 
delightful members of our little community. Maj. Ketcham, also, chief of the 
Government commission, was frequently a welcome visitor from his head- 
quarters at 115 Victoria Street. It was with real regret that we parted with 
them on September 30 and realized they were sailing for America on October 3. 



A 



DISSOLUTION, AND FORMATION OF THE AMERICAN COMMITTEE. 

On August 21 the citizens' committee had formally disbanded, practically all 
of its members having returned home by the following day. Its active labor, 
indeed, had ceased some days earlier, when the sailing of the United States 
transports had been withdrawn and when the settled condition of steamship 
companies and banks left little more for those subcommittees to report. But, 1 
beyond the regret of losing many familiar faces and cheerful presences about 
the Savoy haunts, we were little affected by its going, as it had never really 
entered the field of distributing actual relief, some £700 covering its outlay 
in this direction, and we had early found it much surer and quicker to rely on 
Cooks's office for our necessary transportation rather than upon the voluntary 
offerings of what came by way of the transportation subcommittee. ^ 

Indeed, we were probably the actual gainers by its leaving, as we will some 
time receive our share of the remnant of their funds left behind with the resi- 
dent committee after paying all their bills. What we did miss very greatly 
on their departure, however, was the efficient and most kindly, courteous man- 
agement of the various committee's machinery by Mr. Somers. We had grown 
to depend upon him so absolutely in the thousand and one daily adjustments 
that we grieved to see him leave. To be sure, our relations bad naturally 
been most with the American Residents' Committee ("men's"), who were 
doing the same sort of work as ourselves — indeed, work so closely interlinked 
that it was often difficult to tell which was theirs and which ours. And these 
remained unchanged. But for the cooperation with this committee, our work 
would have been accomplished only with untold efforts in securing contribu- 
tions for our treasury. 
^The very temporary character of the work of both committees was brought 
to an end on September 30, and on October 1 a new committee came into being, 



58 REPOBT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

of a more lasting nature, formed of the members of both old committees and 
of many other American men and women resident in London. The American 
ambassador and Mrs. Page have expressed their confidence in it by accepting 
the honorary chairmanships, and Dr. Page has tendered it the use of 123 
Victoria Street for quarters while the premises remain under the Government's 
lease. 

The work will be carried on by a small paid staff under the direct super- 
vision of a small executive committee composed of the most active members of 
the old committees^ 

While it is not anticipated that the constant stream of refugees returning 
home will be anything like as great as in even the last few days of the history 
of the Savoy committees, it is expected that there will be a great deal of distress 
during the winter and the ensuing year amongst Americans in England. 

It is worthy of note that this committee of some 60 members, with 20 mem- 
bers giving their constant attendance, bad its first and only formal meeting on 
the day before its dissolution. During the rest of its nine weeks' of existence 
it merely worked. And it- worked, be it further noted, without one incident of 
friction, without one word of misunderstanding, between any of its members; 
this under very trying conditions of excitement of war, when often the packed 
masses of nervous humanity surrounding the workers surcharged the at- 
mospbere to a point of sentient tension. 

A chairman may be very proud to hand in such a report of such a committee. 



(Appendix P. — Me. Van Dtjzer's Report. 

The American Society in London, 
llli Southampton Roto, W. C, September 29, J9H. 

Dear Maj. Ketcham : When the London residents were called together to 
consider the situation caused by the war and to devise means for assisting our 
fellow countrymen who were thereby stranded, the 20 or more who met to 
consider the position so created elected as their chairman Mr. H. C. Hoover, 
who bad up to the time of the meeting personally assisted the consul general in 
the city in relieving cases which bad been found there. ) 

Mr. Clarence Graff, who had undertaken to make arrangements for the trans- 
ferrence of moneys from America to England through the Hanover National 
Bank and the London County & Westminster Bank and his own firm, was 
elected treasurer, and the residents present elected me honorary secretary; and 
I undertook to interview applicants and dispense the necessary relief funds here 
at my office. It was at their request and my own offer that this was done, 
owing to the fact that for 20 years or more I have had charge of the benevolent 
fund connected with the American Society in London; and so that you may 
realize the work that we have done I am inclosing herewith a report issued in 
1911 covering the work done during the 12 previous years, the actual statistics 
for the years prior to 1899 not being available in the complete form. 

I undertook to do the work from this office, but we found, with the growing 
number of applicants, that the space bere was not large enough to properly 
cope with the numbers who were applying, and I therefore took up my quarters 
at the Savoy Hotel. 

Tbe particular work which came under my personal supervision was the 
interviewing and assisting home of the single men, although, of course, we had 
families and even single or unattached females; but as the work progressed 
the ladies' committee took charge of the women and others attended to the 
families. 

As tbe forms and receipts wbich I sent in to the Government will show, the 
majority of those we interviewed and sent home were naturalized citizens of 
all nationalities; but I should think the majority were of German birth. 

It is needless to say that there was no case where an applicant was provided 
with a passport that assistance was not rendered or offered. It was hard in 
many instances to believe that those applying were not possessed of means, but 
there was no time for investigation. In fact, investigation could not be made, 
as the applicants had in the majority of cases only arrived in London on the 
day tbey applied for assistance. 

There were a great many who objected to the relief that was offered to 
them, viz, steerage passage to America, owing to tbe fact that they had arrived 
here with the belief that as so much money had been sent over by the Govern- 



EEPOET ON BELIEF OE AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 59 

ment for their assistance there was sufficient for first-class passage in every 
instance. We explained to them as carefully as we could that, even if first 
or second class were provided, the amount of money which it would cost would 
be greater than they could or would desire to repay to the Government, and that 
it was infinitely better for them to sign for the third-class fare than for any 
larger sum ; and in many cases the -very greatest satisfaction was expressed 
by the applicants at receiving the assistance that was given. I think without 
doubt that in the majority of cases where objections were made they were 
raised by those who were not entitled to greater consideration than was given 
them. It was further explained that, even if second or first class transportation 
could be accorded, such accommodation could not be obtained except for very 
few, and then only for advanced sailings. 

In dealing as I have with thousands of cases during the past 20 years I am 
justified, I think, in saying that where complaints have been made of the 
treatment received and the assistance rendered such criticisms are unjustified 
in almost every detail. Aggressiveness and insolence, abuse and allegations as 
to our withholding money for our own ends and pockets, were numerous. 

The work rendered by one and all was one of loyalty to the Government 
for its aid and a determination to relieve every kind of distress which came 
before us with justice and much mercy, and during the eight weeks I served 
without a day's intermission every one worked with but one aim — to help 
the helpless and suffering to the utmost of our powers. 

Should any complaints arise as to any acts or deeds connected with my 
work I can assure you that they can be answered with chapter and verse and 
to the complete satisfaction of any and every unbiased mind. I am, with kind 
regards. 

Yours, sincerely, 

F. C. Van Dtjzek. 

Maj. D. W. Ketcham, United States Army. 



Appendix G. — Mr. Bell's Repoet. 

FOEEIGN INQUIRY DEPARTMENT. 

England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales were considered local. The Continent 
was considered foreign. Hence any inquiries made by cable or otherwise re- 
garding the whereabouts of people on the Continent were turned over to the 
foreign inquiry department, and it was the duty of this department to advertise 
in all foreign papers, as well as to notify the embassy, which would in turn 
send to the respective consuls or embassies on the Continent a copy of the 
inquiry. For example, John Smith cabled from New York to the committee 
as follows : " My sister somewhere on Continent. Last known address, Vienna. 
Can you locate? Advise." 

Upon receipt of this inquiry we would, in the first place, search the registra- 
tion files and all information that we might have obtained from the Continent 
to see if the name appeared anywhere, and if we could locate from that refer- 
ence we would notify John Smith in New York as to his sister's whereabouts. 
We would also notify her and give her facilities for getting into touch with 
her brother. 

Where we could not locate from information at hand, we would then inform 
John Smith by cable that we had no record of his sister in this country, but 
the committee would cable him as soon as we had located her. We would 
then notify the American embassy here, who would in turn advise the consul 
or American representative in Vienna. The continental press were very good 
to us indeed, as well as the local press. The party inquired for would be 
sought after by the press as follows : 

" Inquiry is made by the American committee for Miss Smith, who was last 
heard of in Vienna. Anyone knowing her whereabouts, please communicate 
with the American committee. Savoy Hotel." 

In hundreds of cases there would be some one who would see this and notify 
us to the effect that Miss Smith had left Vienna and had gone to The Hague, 

joining other Americans, and that she had sailed on S. S. direct for 

America. We would then ascertain from the representative in charge of the 
ship if this was a fact, and then notify John Smith accordingly, " Your sister 

located. She has sailed on the S. S. from Rotterdam direct to America " 

(and here furnish them with the date of the sailing). 



60 REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

A complete file has been kept of all foreign inquiries, such as the one already 
mentioned. 

The foreign inquiry department has been the means of locating hundreds of 
people. 

Outgoing trains. — The work of this department was to go to the trains and 
see that all Americans were provided with ample accommodation and informa- 
tion in regard to their journey from London to New York. 

During the time of the rush it often happened that people had not sufficient 
funds to provide themselves with necessaries to tide them over until they got 
on their ship, and in these cases an allowance was made to them. The train 
committee arranged with the porters and the railway authorities that all pos- 
sible assistance regarding luggage, and so forth, should be given our people. 
Oftentime the people had miscalculated as regards the money they would re- 
quire and found themselves stranded at the boarding houses at the last moment. 
They would then be brought to the station by some representative and the 
required deficiency made up that they might get away in comfort. Proper seat- 
ing accommodation was found for everyone; representatives went to each com- 
partment and explained to the occupants exactly what they were to do on reach- 
ing Liverpool, or if they could be of any further assistance. 

The work of the train committee was a certain check on seeing that the 
work of the American committee had been carried out efficiently, and everyone 
was sent away under good circumstances. 

This committee stepped a little further; they ascertained from each ship 
sailing some responsible person or persons who would undertake to form a 
committee on board ship to look after our people to New York, and from in- 
formation received this was carried out satisfactorily. 



Appendix H. — Application for Relief. 

American Relief Committee. 
London, England, , 1914. 

Name, . Present address in Europe, . Date of departure from 

United States, . Address in the United States, . Address in the 

United. States of nearest relative or friend, . My party consists of 

(name, age, sex, and relationship), . I am an American citizen by 

reason of (form of naturalization), . I have credentials as follows (kind, 

by whom issued and date), . Instrument of credit in my possession 

(kind and by whom issued), . I desire to return to the United States 

(if immediate, state reasons), . I have (have not) received relief prior 

to this date, . I desire relief as follows, , $ . 

I have verified the above statement and believe it to be correct, , relief 

committee. 

Relief furnished as follows: Cash, $ . Transportation, $ . Board. 

$ . Lodging, $ . Other items, $ . Total, $ . Security 

received to cover above (kind, amount), . Remarks, . 



Appendix I. — Sight Draft. 

UNITED STATES RELIEF COMMISSION. 

, 191— . 

On demand after date, pay to order of myself dollars. 



$ ) value received. 

To . Address, . (Name) . Address, 

(On back) Pay to order of the Treasurer of the United States. 



Appendix J. — Promissory Note. 

UNITED STATES RELIEF COMMISSION. 



191- 



$ . On demand after date I promise to pay to the order of the Treasurer 

of the United States, dollars, value received. (Name) . Ad- 
dress, . 

Payable at Washington, D. C. 



REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 61 

Appendix K. — Receipt for Cash Advances. 

I acknowledge to have received from Walter H. Page, American ambassador, 
London, in person or by his deputy in cash, the sum of dollars. (Name) 



(To be filled in by special disbursing agent. Authority : See " Report of 

evidences of credit received." File No. .) 

London, England, , 1914. 



Appendix L. — Instructions for the Preparation of Forms of Obligation to 
Reimburse the United States. 

1. All persons receiving assistance must obligate themselves to reimburse the 
United States. 

2. For those holding no form of credit obligations will be as follows : 

(a) Take sight draft on some relative, responsible friend, Arm, or corporation 
in the United States, drawn to order of person making same and by him or her 
indorsed, "Pay to order of the Treasurer of the United States." (See form 
inclosed. ) 

(b) Take promissory demand note payable to the Treasurer of the United 
States. (See form inclosed.) 

3. The form of application for relief should be made in duplicate by each 
applicant and verified and signed by one of the relief committees or consul. 
(Forms inclosed.) 

4. Receipt for the amount of aid given must be taken in each case, the receipt 
to be signed by the individual receiving the aid. (Forms inclosed.) 

5. The sight draft is the preferable form of obligation ; but where the indi- 
vidual has no friend, relative, bank, or corporation to draw on the promissory 
note will be taken. 

6. Relief can be extended only to citizens of the United States, and ordinarily 
should be in kind ; i. e., board, lodging, transportation, etc. Only in unusual 
cases will relief be extended by cash advances. It should be borne in mind that 
only the amount actually necessary to relieve the individual situation in hand 
should be advanced to any one person. 

7. Vouchers — i. e., the sight drafts, promissory notes, receipts, etc. — must be 
expressed in terms of American money; that is, in dollars and cents. Where 
aid is extended in foreign money the equivalent in American money should 
appear on the vouchers. 

8. Where there is doubt as to whether the applicant is an American citizen 
he should be required to make affidavit to that effect. 

Please comply scrupulously with above instructions and have forms carefully 
prepared. 

Appendix M. — Identification Form of Money TrjlNsfer. 

UNITED STATES MONEY TRANSFER COMMISSION. 

Form to be filled up by persons who have received advices that money has 
been sent them through United States Government: 

Name, . Address, — . Amount, . Where deposited, . 

By whom deposited, . Address of depositor, . Relationship to 

you, . Business or profession of depositor, . Signer of cable from 

America, . Give list of credentials and identification papers in your pos- 
session, . Remarks, . 

Age, . Weight, . Height, . Color of eyes, . Com- 
plexion, . Color of hair, . 



Appendix N. — Sight Draft for Money Transfer. 

UNITED STATES MONEY TRANSFER COMMISSION. 



-, 191 



On demand after date, pay to the order of myself - - dollars 
-), value received. 



To . Address, . (Name) . Address, . 

This draft must be indorsed on back. 

(On back) Pay to the order of the Treasurer of the United States. 



62 REPORT ON BELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

Appendix O. — Promissory Note for Money Transfer. 

UNITED STATES MONEY TRANSFER COMMISSION. 

, 191 . 

On demand after date I promise to pay to the order of the Treas- 



urer of the United States dollars, value received. (Name) 

Address, . 



Appendix P. — Receipt for Cash Advances. 

UNITED STATES MONEY TRANSFER COMMISSION. 

I acknowledge to have received this date from Capt. H. F. Dalton, Quarter- 
master Corps, United States Army, special disbursing agent, the sum of — 

dollars ($ ), to apply on deposit of $ made by , of , 

to my account with the Treasurer of the United States, Washington, D. & 
(Name) . Address, . 

London, England, , 1914. 



Appendix Q. — Circular Letter, Money Transfer. 

Offices of the Relief Commission, 

115 Victoria Street SW., . 1914. 

I inclose forms that must be made up and signed in order for us to identify 
you and turn the money over. Upon receipt of these forms completed and 
signed as per inclosed instructions, the money will be sent to you. The de- 
partment insists upon a sight draft or promissory note for the amount (sight 
draft preferred) which will be their authority for retaining the deposit made 
to your credit with the State Department. The necessity for having the forms 
completed correctly before we can send you the money is emphasized. 
Trusting that our requirements may not cause you inconvenience, I am. 
Yours, faithfully, 



Major, General Staff, Chief of Party. 



Appendix R. — Instructions for Preparation of Money-Transfer Forms. 

The following forms must be made out and returned before those having 
money to their credit can receive it : 

1. The large form giving name, address, etc., must be- in duplicate. The 
information required on the back must be furnished. Give American address. 

2. A sight draft or promissory note is required for the amount of the 
deposit. A sight draft is preferred, and must be indorsed on the back. The 
address given must be the American one. 

3. A receipt for the amount must be signed on the inclosed form and returned 
with the other forms. But one copy of the receipt and draft or note is required. 

4. Upon receipt of all the forms properly prepared, payment will be made by 
a London draft sent by mail. 

5. We prefer to have the parties apply at the London office for payment. 
The above arrangements are made to prevent inconvenience and expense to 
those outside London. 

6. The sight draft should be drawn on some friend, relative, bank, company, 
or corporation. 

7. The necessity of having the forms correctly prepared before payment can 
be made is emphasized. 



Appendix S. — Copy of Order. 
S. O. No. 1. 

Office of the Assistant Secretary of War and 

Special Commissioner of the United States, 
On Board the U. S. S. "Tennessee" at Sea, August 16, 1914. 
1. The following relief party is designated: Maj. D. W. Ketcham, United 
States Army, chief of group; Capt. H. F. Dalton, Quartermaster Corps, special 
disbursing agent; Capt. R. R. Ralston, Corps of Engineers, assistant. 



REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 63 

2. Headquarters of this relief party will be established in London, England. 

3. Maj. Ketcham will accompany the Assistant Secretary of War from Fal- 
mouth to London. The remaining members of his party will leave Falmouth 
on the train carrying funds. 

4. The travel enjoined is necessary. 

Henry Breckinridge, 
Assistant Secretary of War and 
Special Commissioner of the United States. 
Official : 

James A. Logan, 

Major, Quartermaster Corps, Adjutant. 



Appendix T. — Instructions. 

Applicants for assistance must be rigorously examined as to their resources. 

1. If they have letters of credit on English banks, travelers' checks (except 
German steamship lines), they can cash them at the various institutions and 
need no assistance. 

2. If they have American money you can change it at $5 to £1. 

3. If they bave Hamburg-American, North-German Lloyd travelers' checks or 
drafts on continental banks, they can borrow 50 per cent from the Pennsylvania 
Railway agent in the white room. This railway will return any excess over tha 
loans which they can realize (11 o'clock and 3 o'clock). 

4. If they have relatives or friends in America to whom they can cable for 
money, they must do so, there being no charge for cable unless the money comes. 

5. After the above lines have been exhausted, there is always a residue who 
need loans from us. These fall into three classes: 

(a) Those who look "good" and can offer some security, such as continental 
money, checks on American banks, etc. These may be made cash advances suffi- 
cient to purchase cheap tickets and for immediate subsistence, and they may be 
allowed to negotiate their own passage. 

(o) To those who look " good," but can offer no security or assurance of any 
kind, loans may be made, but only on evidence of secured passage, in which 
event cash or checks should be made payable to the steamship company or 
agent, and only such cash given the individual as is absolutely necessary for 
subsistence. 

(c) These are the final indeterminates, usually Americans thrown out of 
small employment in Europe. All of the unaccompanied women must pass the 
women's relief committee, and all the men must pass Mr. Van Duzer's com- 
mittee, which committee have special means for dealing. All Jewish ladies 
should be sent to the Jewish board of guardians. In any event, transportation, 
third class, and barest subsistence comprises the total advance, and tickets must 
be kept in hand till the last moment to prevent disposal. 

Notice. — Where money is advanced the note and description card must be 
scrupulously made out and the note should be initialed by the person who 
handles the " case." 

American Consular Service, 
i5 New Broad Street, London, E. C, 

August 22, Wllf. 

American Consular Officers in the United Kingdom. 

Gentlemen : You are informed that Maj. Daniel Warren Ketcham, United 
States Army, has arrived and has established his headquarters at No. 2, Army 
and Navy Mansions, 115 Victoria Street, London, S.W., where he is disbursing 
funds for the account of the United States Government to American citizens 
requiring financial assistance. Maj. Ketcham prefers to deal with applicants 
in London, as far as possible, and you should direct American citizens who call 
upon you for aid to proceed to London for that purpose. In en se applicants are 
not in a position to undertake the journey, funds will be provided on receipt of a 
statement from you setting forth the circumstances, and in exceptional cases it 
is by no means impossible that you will be authorized by Maj. Ketcham to deal 
with the entire matter. 

I am, gentlemen, your obedient servant, 

Robert P. Skinner, 

Consul General. 

70274—14 5 



APPENDIX C. 



REPORT OF THE AMERICAN RELIEF COMMISSION TO THE HONORABLE THE 
ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF WAR. 

HEADQUARTERS, BERLIN, SEPTEMBER 25, 1914. 

J. A. Ryan, Major of Cavalry, Chief of Party. 

PLAN OF REPORT TO THE WAR DEPARTMENT. 

Part No. 1. — (a) Names of party sent to Germany; (b) descrip- 
tion of trip and details to Berlin; (c) conferences prior to starting 
work with the American ambassador and results of such conferences. 

Part No. 2. — (a) Names of party retained in Berlin headquarters; 
(b) names of officers sent to other cities from Berlin. 

Part No. 3. — (a) Location and organization of Berlin relief party; 
(b) the actual relief work of the Berlin party; (c) report of parties 
sent to other cities from Berlin. 

Part No. 4- — Relief work for the English subjects. 

Part No. 5. — Financial report. 

Part No. 6. — (a) Plan, photos, and exhibits illustrating the relief 
work; (b) samples of printed forms used. 



Report of the Relief Commission Detailed at Berlin by 
Assistant Secretary of War Breckinridge August 23, 1914. 

Part No. 1. 

The relief party designated for Germany by Assistant Secretary 
of War Breckinridge consisted of Maj. J. A. Ryan, Cavalry; Capt. 
C. L. Fenton, Coast Artillery Corps; Capt. M. A. Cross, Coast 
Artillery Corps; Capt. A. H. Sunderland, Coast Artillery Corps; 
and Capt. Ardery, Corps of Engineers. At The Hague, Capts. 
Sunderland and Ardery were detached to form a relief party there. 
On arrival at Berlin there were added to the German relief party 
Maj. J. H. Ford, Medical Department; Maj. George W. Martin, 
Eighteenth Infantry; and Capt. B. Enochs, Twenty-sixth Infantry. 
Later, by direction of the Assistant Secretary of War, Capt. F. J. 
Miller, Coast Artillery Corps, was directed to report to Berlin with 
an additional sum of money. He arrived here upon August 25, 1914. 

We left the U. S. cruiser Tennessee on the night of August 21, and 
traveled by train to The Hague. We left The Hague on August 22 
64 



REPORT ON BELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 65 

by special train, and arrived in Berlin early on the morning of 
August 23. The trip was made without any inconvenience, and upon 
arrival the money in our charge was taken at once to the Hotel 
Kaiserhof and kept under guard until Monday, August 24, when, 
through the courtesy of the Deutsche Bank, it was placed in their 
vaults. 

Upon reporting at the American embassy I found that the Hon. 
G. W. Gerard was attending to the relief of American citizens. The 
ballroom at the embassy was offered to me for offices, but as it was 
limited for the work in hand and as the embassy was already be- 
sieged by a large number of people on other business I deemed it 
wise to secure offices suitable for the work at some place away from 
the embassy, and across the street, at the Hotel Kaiserhof, I found 
what was desired. Through the courtesy of the hotel management 
three large rooms, with reception hall, were placed at my disposal 
without charge, and on Monday morning, August 24, they were 
opened for business. I made arrangements for taking over the 
entire work of the embassy of supplying relief and transportation 
to stranded 'Americans. An organization had already been estab- 
lished at the embassy, which I took over bodily, and which consisted 
of stenographers, typewriters, ticket sellers for railroad and steam- 
ship tickets, and messengers. Most of these employees were volun- 
teers, and they continued to give their services until their departure 
for the United States. As such changes of help would seriously dis- 
arrange the office work I took immediate steps to secure permanent 
help on which I could rely at a small cost. 

Through the efforts of the American ambassador three special 
trains had already been arranged, which had carried large numbers 
of Americans to Rotterdam. I made arrangements to continue spe- 
cial trains as fast as the military authorities would permit, and this 
was kept up until the greater part of the Americans had departed. 

Part No. 2. 

The Assistant Secretary of War, on leaving Berlin, found it nec- 
essary to detach from my party Capt. M. A. Cross, Coast Artillery 
Corps, and after his arrival at Vienna the Assistant Secretary tele- 
graphed me for another officer. I was glad to recommend to him 
Maj. J. H. Ford, of the Medical Department, who had rendered such 
valuable services to me here. Maj. Ford proceeded to Vienna and 
took over the office there until his appointment as observer with the 
Austrian armies. Maj. George W. Martin, who happened to be on 
leave in Germany and reported to the American ambassador for 
service, was sent to Munich, and from there to Nurnberg, Mannheim, 
and Frankfort on the Main, to attend to the wants of Americans in 
those cities. Reports of these officers will be found in part No. 3. 

Part No. 3. 

LOCATION AND ORGANIZATION OF BERLIN RELIEF PARTY. 

In accordance with the conferences held with the American am- 
bassador, the headquarters of the relief party were established in 
the well-known Hotel Kaiserhof, which is located on the Wilhelm- 
platz, near the American embassy. 



66 REPORT ON EELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

A suite of rooms was secured at this hotel occupying a floor space 
of approximately 2,458 square feet. These rooms were located on 
the ground floor, with a separate entrance on Wilhelmplatz, about 
300 yards from the American embassy. The floor plan of this suite 
is shown on the accompanying drawing. The rooms were well 
adapted for the use of the commission. 

In order to accelerate the work, to expedite matters without loss 
of time, and to secure the highest possible degree of efficiency the 
Berlin headquarters were organized as follows and divided into the 
following departments : 

1. Maj. J. A. Ryan, chief of party. 

2. Capt. C. L. Fenton, disbursing officer. 

3. Lieut. E. G. Blakeslee, in charge of arriving trains, care and subsistence 
of Americans. 

4. Reception. 

5. Relief application. 

6. Relief inspection. 

7. Cashier, disbursing. 

8. Railway and steamer tickets. 

9. Hotels. 

10. Baggage. 

11. Legal. 

12. Transportation, general. 

13. Sign painter. 

14. Door attendants. 

15. Messengers. 

16. Daily American Bulletin, newspaper. 

These departments were under the charge of local Americans, who 
volunteered their services for this work. The work in attending to 
applicants was as follows: 

A member of the reception department was placed at the entrance, 
who arranged applicants in line in accordance with respective needs, 
gave information on minor details, and answered such questions as 
could be answered readily. 

The first step necessary prior to making application for relief was 
to have a passport issued by the Secretary of State or by the Ameri- 
can ambassador, duly provided with the seal of the German foreign 
office. Those who were in possession of such a passport were passed 
into the offices and, in order to avoid any friction or crowding, a 
limited number was admitted at a time. 

After the application for relief was filled out on a standard form 
such application was passed upon by an inspector and presented to 
the disbursing officer for payment. As a rule transportation and 
subsistence to Rotterdam or London were given, while in some cases 
transportation to Rotterdam and thence to New York was provided. 
In the latter case a steamer ticket for the Holland- America Line 
was issued at this office, and in other cases such tickets were sold to 
anyone who had the necessary funds. These tickets were for third 
class only, the first and second class tickets being sold by the local 
agent of the Holland-America Line. 

During the greater part of the time special trains were provided, 
about two per week, and tickets for such trains were sold by this 
commission at this office after arrangements had been completed with 
the Prussian state railways, who were extremely accommodating in 
this respect. Arrangements were also made for through tickets from 
Rotterdam to London. After complete organization, all money re- 



EEPOET ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 67 

ceived from the sale of train or steamer tickets was handled through 
a cash register in the most satisfactory manner. 

As indicated in the drawing (see p. 77), the line formed at table 
No. 16 after the allowed sum had been turned over by the disbursing 
officer to each applicant. At table No. 16 the exact fare was deter- 
mined by a clerk, indicating such amount on paper. This slip of 
paper was presented to the operator of the cash register at table 
No. 17, where the money was paid in. The cash register issued a re- 
ceipt for the money received, calling for a railroad ticket or steamer 
ticket, or both, as the case might be, and upon presentation of this 
receipt at table No. 18 the respective rail or steamer ticket was 
handed over. 

The line proceeded as indicated in the drawing, and filed out. 

HOTEL DEPARTMENT. 

This department was helpful in comforting the arriving Americans 
from other German and Austrian cities, and the following details 
were attended to: (1) Assistance at the railway stations; (2) trans- 
portation in special buses to the hotels; (3) providing of suitable 
hotel accommodations; (4) providing reasonable boarding houses; 
and, in some cases, board was provided free of cost; (5) support for 
indisposed and ill Americans and their care in hospitals. 

BAGGAGE DEPARTMENT. 

This department did very satisfactory work in the search for lost 
baggage and in forwarding same to railway stations, hotels, or ware- 
houses for storage. 

Printed forms in use are attached in the appendix. 

LEGAL DEPARTMENT. 

This department was under the charge of a staff member of the 
German Chamber of Commerce of Berlin, and his advice was much 
sought by Americans. The following work was attended to: 
(1) Cancellation of leases for apartments of Americans who desired 
to return to America; (2) cancellation of contracts for concerts, en- 
tered into by Americans who desired release in order to return home ; 
(3) in cases where the release of contracts for apartments was not 
possible, an understanding of some sort was reached. A certain 
amount of money was paid to landlords to secure such release. The 
required money for this purpose was provided by the aforementioned 
German Chamber of Commerce of Berlin. 

THE EQUIPMENT OF THE ORGANIZATION. 

Besides the necessary tables, desks, office furniture, etc., furnished 
by the Hotel Kaiserhof , the following equipment was in use : Filing 
cabinets, desk, Burroughs adding machine, and card index files, 
furnished by Glogowski & Co. ; 7 Underwood typewriters, furnished 
by J. Muggli ; 1 Smith-Premier typewriter, furnished by Kich. Sier- 
ing ; 12 showcard holders and letter box, furnished by A. Wertheim ; 
1 American flag, furnished by the Warner Corset Co. ; 6 rugs, fur- 
nished by Fischer & Wolf; 1 ticket-dating machine, furnished by 



68 EEPOET ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN" CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

Thos. Cook & Son; 1 National cash register (electric) furnished bv 
the N. C. A. Co. 

Due to the generosity of the American and German merchants in 
Berlin, it cost me nothing to furnish the offices. 

PUBLICATIONS. 

For the convenience of Americans, a daily newspaper called Daily 
American Bulletin, was issued every other day, the prime object 
of which was to inform Americans as to the whereabouts of friends, 
relatives, departure of special trains, steamers, etc. The Daily 
American Bulletin was published by the authority of the American 
Relief Commission in Berlin, and under the auspices of the American 
Association of Commerce and Trade in Berlin. 

A sample copy of this paper is attached in the appendix. The 
expense of this publication was borne entirely by the aforementioned 
American Association of Commerce and Trade of Berlin, through the 
assistance of Mr. Wolf and Mr. Atwood. 

REPORT OF PARTIES SENT TO OTHER CITIES FROM BERLIN. 

Report No. 1. 

Report from Dresden and Leipzig-, signed by Capt. Berkely Enochs, Twenty-seventh 
Infantry, dated Berlin, Sept. 15, 1914.] 

On September 5, 1914, accompanied by Mr. W. F. Newton, I proceeded to 
Dresden, arriving there during tbe early afternoon. I at once interviewed the 
consul general and found that be bad been advised of tbe fact tbat I was to visit 
Dresden. 

He bad sent out to all persons interested a circular and bad arranged for tbe 
use of two of bis rooms as my office. I remained in Dresden from tbe 5tb to 
tbe lOtb of September, extending aid wbere necessary and proper, and advising 
Americans to return to tbe United States. 

Tbere are very few Americans remaining in Dresden, almost all of wbom 
remain on account of business questions. 

On the lOtb of September I proceeded to Leipzig and found tbe situation was 
sucb tbat tbere was no need of my remaining tbere. I so advised tbe command- 
ing officer, third relief party, and returned to Berlin on tbe 12th of September. 

Attached are copies of telegrams, applications for relief, and my accounts. 

The courtesy and aid extended by the consular offices at Dresden and Leipzig 
were great and are deeply appreciated. 

Report No. 2. 

[Report from Hamburg, etc., signed by Capt. F. J. Miller, Coast Artillery Corps, dated 

Berlin, Sept. 15, 1914.] 

In compliance with Special Orders 2, relief party No. 3, Berlin, August 28, 
1914, and telegrams dated Berlin, September 8, 1914, I visited in turn tbe 
following cities on the dates named for the purpose of furnishing relief to 
American citizens : 

Hamburg, August 30 to September 3, 1914. 

Bremen, September 3 to September 7, 1914. 

Hanover, September 7 to September 8, 1914. 

Brunswick, September 8 to September 10, 1914. 

Magdeburg, September 10 to September 11, 1914. 

At Hamburg approximately 200 Americans applied for advice or financial 
assistance. Many of those had means to get to Rotterdam or London or to 
return to the United States, and many, after receiving advice or information, 
were able to care for themselves. 



EEPOET ON BELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 69 

Funds were furnished to 67 persons, for the most part in sight drafts for 
enough to enable them to get to London. A few advances were made on letters 

Hamburg to Holland, which simplified the situation heie. r^tori 

a^ HambuS great courtesy was shown me as representative of the United 
Stttes Sief e cfmmiss^on. I was tendered a dinner at the home of Herr 
Iredohl the flrsHurgomaster and president of the senate of the city of Ham- 
Srg and was entertained at lunch by the American Club of Ha^bur| . 

At Bremen the situation was and had been much easier than at Hamburg. 
Fl fi fwSe advanced to 29 persons, in most cases on sight drafts to enable 
them to get to London. A number of others were given advice and informa- 

^■S£^£ Q !£iK£ were left who desired assistance, Funds were 
fumisS to seven persons. Arrangements were made, by special cars rwh ch 
weie I attached L to the regular train leaving Hanover on September 8, for the 

aC irZ?n\wTck° f aml Magdeburg there was practically no relief work to be 
done Fundi weiesupplfed to three in Rrunswick and one in Magdeburg to 

VT ^ T l?T^££Tlwns the situation is practically deared u£ 

officials. 

Part No. k- 

RELIEF WORK FOR ENGLISH SUBJECTS. 

The relief for English subjects— i. e., the arrangements for their 
return to England— was carried on in cooperation with the British 

^ol^taiiiB were arranged for, the tickets. for which and 
for the steamer from Flushing to London were sold m theroomso 
this commission. Approximately 600 persons were sent home, all 

° f Tt BrS ^Association furnished additional help in attend- 

ing to this work. 

Part No. 5. 

London, England, September 30, 191k- 
From : Capt. C. L. Fenton, Coast Artillery Corps. 
To: Maj. J. A. Ryan, Cavalry. 

Subiect : Financial report. . , 

1 On August 21 1914, I was detailed as a special disbursing agent and 

over to Mr. Wilmeth : 

DISBURSED AND TRANSFERRED. 

$49, 633. 64 

Advances made ___ 2,892.82 

Office expenses and expenses of party 

Transfers: , w^in^o — 50,000.00 

Capt. E. D. Ardery, Corps of Engineers ' 

Capt. M. A. Cross, Coast Artillery Corps 1 000.00 

Mr. E. P. Ricknell (Red Cross) 



70 REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZEN'S IN" EUROPE. 

Transfers — Continued. 

Mr. J. L. Wilmeth— : $500.00 

Maj. G. W. Martin, Infantry 10,000.00 

Commander R. R. Belknap, United States Navy 10,000.00 

Capt. B. Enochs, Infantry 5.000.00 

Ambassador James Gerard, at Berlin 32, 000. 00 

Consul General J. G. Lay, at Berlin 15, 229. 47 

James L. Wilmeth, official representative Treasury Department- 104, 163. 50 

Total 330, 419. 43 

RECEIVED. 

From Mr. J. L. Wilmeth 200,000.00 

From Capt. F. J. Miller, Coast Artillery Corps 94, 932. 65 

From Capt. B. Enochs, Infantry 4,713.42 

From Maj. G. W. Martin 4, 3S3. 77 

From Maj. J. H. Ford, Medical Corps 23, 763. 25 

By amount coming into my possession through various rates of ex- 
change 2, 626. 34 

Total 330, 419. 43 

3. Of the amount advanced for the relief of American citizens, $2,350 was 
advanced on State Department deposits, in accordance with instructions con- 
tained in cablegrams from the Secretary of State. 

Persons assisted (approximately) 1,600 

Cash advances made in Berlin $1, 152 

C. L. Fenton. 

Berlin, September 24, 1914- 
Maj. J. A. Ryan, 

Chief of Party, American Relief Commission, Berlin. 
Sir : In compliance with instructions from your office, I proceeded to Munich 
under date of August 26. Upon my arrival at Munich I found a civilian relief 
committee which had shipped on special trains about 600 Americans to Holland, 
en route to the United States. After advertising extensively, I was able to send 
out a special train on September 1 consisting of 287 Americans, for London, via 
Flushing. Later, on September 5, I shipped out two carloads of 47 people for 
London, via Flushing. 

On September 8 and 9 I visited Nurnberg, in compliance with instructions 
from your office. I was unable to assist any Americans at this point, as the 
consul had assisted all needy Americans to Holland before my arrival. 

I returned to Munich and was able to assist five needy Americans who were 
too late for either of the trains I sent from that point. I closed my office at 
Munich and proceeded to Mannheim, where the consul showed me a list of 
about 1,000 names, but, being unable to be assured of a sufficient number to 
warrant a special train from Mannheim, I proceeded to Frankfort, from where 
I sent a train of 265 people on the 19th of September for London, via Flushing. 
I arrived here on the 22d of September. 
Very respectfully, 

G. W. Martin, 
Major of Seventeenth Infantry, 

American Relief Commission. 

Berlin, September 24, 1914. 
From : Capt. F. J. Miller, Coast Artillery Corps. 
To : Maj. J. A. Ryan, United States Cavalry, chief of party. 
Subject: Relief of American citizens at Barmen and Cologne. 

In compliance with Special Order No. 5, relief party No. 3, dated Berlin, 
September 15, 1914, I proceeded on September 16 to Barmen to provide relief 
for needy Americans. 

Arrangements had been made by the United States consul for Americans in 
Barmen and vicinity to call at the consulate on September IS. On that date I 
provided means of transportation for 30 persons, in all but one or two cases as 
far as London. Arrangements were made to attach special car to a train 
leaving on September 19, this car to go through without change to Rotterdam. 



EEPOET ON BELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 71 

A clerk in the office of the consul at Barmen accompanied the train as far as 
Dusselclorf to care for the passengers, many of whom were women and children,, 
and some of whom needed looking after. 

The situation at Barmen was practically cleared up when I left. 

I proceeded on September 19 to Cologne, and on that afternoon and the fol- 
lowing day, Sunday, I provided transportation for 16 stranded Americans. A 
number of others were given advice and information, but needed no funds. 

From Cologne a daily boat runs on the Rhine to Rotterdam, and all were 
instructed or advised to go by this route, en route to London, to which point 
transportation was provided. 

From Cologne I telegraphed the United States consul at Aachen and received 
reply that there were no Americans at that point in need of assistance. 

I returned to Berlin on the night of September 22. 

F. J. MILLER. 
THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF COMMERCE AND TRADE. 

I can not close this report without inviting attention to the valu- 
able assistance rendered the American Relief Commission of Berlin 
by the American Association of Commerce and Trade. This associa- 
tion, through its president, Mr. I. Wolf, jr., as well as its secretary, 
Mr. Atwood, has been of great assistance to me, and has rendered re- 
lief to many destitute people who did not come within the province 
of the American Relief Commission. This association, founded for 
the purpose of cementing stronger friendly and commercial rela- 
tions between the people of the United States and Germany, has 
fulfilled its mission to the utmost in the manner in which it has 
come forward at this time, when aid of all kinds was necessary, and 
it deserves the thanks of the people of the United States for all it 
has done for our people in Berlin. 

I wish to invite the attention of the honorable Assistant Secretary 
of War to the excellent work done by the officers of this commission 
in Germany and Austria: To Capt. C. L. Fenton, Coast Artillery 
Corps, who handled the entire financial part of this commission in 
both countries; to Capt. M. A. Cross, Coast Artillery Corps, and to 
Maj. J. H. Ford. Medical Department, who looked after the wants of 
American citizens in Austria; to Maj. Geo. W. Martin, Capt. F. J. 
Miller, and to Capt. B. Enochs, who visited the various cities in Ger- 
many, extending aid to destitute Americans at those points. Their 
close attention to duty, without regards to hours, and the cheerful- 
ness with which they responded to every call, has enabled me to carry 
out successfully the orders I received to bring assistance to stranded 
Americans in these parts. 

Respectfully submitted. 

J. A. Ryan, 
Major of Cavalry, Chief of Party, 

American Relief C ommission. 



Letter of Appreciation Received from American Association of Commerce 

and Trade of Berlin. 

Berlin, September 23, 191^. 
Maj. James A. Ryan, 

Hotel Kaiserhof, Berlin. 
Sir : The officers and board of directors of the American Association of Com- 
merce and Trade in Berlin desire to express to you in behalf of the association, 
whose members represent the leading business houses of the United States and 



72 REPOET ON EELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUEOPE. 

Germany doing business between the two countries, their appreciation of the 
efficiency, promptness, and kindness of yourself and your staff in assisting our 
countrymen during the terrible strain they were under owing to the conditions 
occasioned by the war. At the same time we beg you to assure our Govern- 
ment that our association recognizes the generous and quick action of the 
authorities in charge. It is another splendid evidence of testifying that the 
United States of America know how to do the right thing at the right time. 
Tours, gratefully, 

The American Association of Commerce and Trade, 

I. Wolf, Jr., President. 

Geo. S. Atwood, Secretary. 



Letter of Appreciation Received from Munich. 

Maj. G. W. Martin, 

Representative of the United States Relief Commission at Munich. 
Sir : The executive committee of the American Relief Association of Munich, 
on behalf of the above association and as representing the Americans in Munich, 
desires to hereby express its appreciation and thanks for the most generous 
gift of the United States to its people in distress in these most trying times, 
and especially do we extend to Maj. G. W. Martin, the representative in Munich 
of the United States Relief Commission, our most hearty thanks for the uni- 
form patience, kindness, and consideration that he has shown to all who have 
applied to him with their various troubles. 

With grateful thanks for the noble generosity, thoughtfulness, and considera- 
tion of our Government, 
Very sincerely, 

T. St. John Gaffney, Consul General. 

F. H. Untross. 

Leslie Dayton Bissell. 

dr. sofie a. nordhoff-jung. 

George S. Fullerton. 

Wm. T. Crocker. 



Application for Relief, American Relief Committee. 

■ , Germany. 

Name, . 

Present address in Europe, . 

Date of departure from United States, . 

Address in the United States, . 

Address in the United States of nearest relative or friend, . 

My party consists of (name, age, sex, and relationship), . 

I am an American citizen by reason of (form of naturalization), . 

I have credentials as follows (kind, by whom issued, and date), . 

Instrument of credit in my possession (kind and by whom issued), . 

I desire to return to the United States (if immediate, state reasons), . 

I have (have not) received relief prior to this date, . 

I desire relief as follows, . 

Relief recommended, . 

Relief furnished as follows: Cash, $ — ; transportation, $ — ; board, 

lodging, $ ; other items, $ ; total, $ . 



Security received to cover above (kind, amount), 

Remarks, . 

I have verified the above statement and believe it to be correct. 



Captain, United States Army, Memoer of Relief Party. 



KEPOET ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 73 

Form of Sight Deaft Charged to Account of Letter of Credit. 



UNITED STATES RELIEF COMMISSION. 



, 191—. 

On demand after date pay to the order of the Treasurer of the United States 

of America dollars in gold coin of the United States, value received, 

and charge to account of letter of credit No. , dated , 191—. 

To . Address, . 

Issued by . Address, . 



dollars. 



Form of Sight Draft, 
united states relief commission. 



-, 191—. 



On demand after date pay to the order of myself dollars, value 

received. 



(Address) — 



To . Address, 



Form of Cash Receipt. 

receipt for cash advances. 

I acknowledge to have received from , United States Army, in 

person or by his deputy, in cash the sum of dollars. 

(To be filled, in by special disbursing agent. Authority: See "Report of 
Evidences of Credit Received." File No. .) 



Form of Promissory Note, 
united states relief commission. 



-, 191- 



On demand after date I promise to pay to the order of the Treasurer of 
the United States dollars, value received. Payable at Washington, D. C. 



(Address) 



Application for Baggage Claim. 

American Relief Commission, 

Hotel Kaiserhoff, Berlin, , 191^. 

No. • 

S^" Wir Ziehen deutsche Antwort vor. Schreiben Sie deutlich. 
We prefer reply in German. Write plainly. 
Wie heissen Sie und wo wohnen Sie jetzt? (Eigentiimer des Gepacks.) 

Vertreter zeichnet am Schlusse. 

What is your name and where do you live now? (Owner of baggage.) 

Representative signs at the end of blank. 

Sollen wir Ihr Gepack iibernehmen? (Antworten Sie ja Oder nein.) 

ermitteln? iibermitteln? 

Shall we take care of your baggage? (Say yes or no.) locate it? 

forward it? 

Wiinschen Sie, dass Ihr Gepack fur Sie auf Lager gehalten wird? (Ameri- 
kaner bezahlen kein Lagergeld im Falle Gepack auf deutschem Giiterbahnhof 
liegen geblieben ist.) (Antworten Sie ja oder nein) 



74 EEPOET ON EELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

Do you wish us to have your baggage stored for you? (Americans do not 
have to pay storage charges if the baggage was left with the railroad in Ger- 
many.) (Say yes or no.) 

Im Falle das Gepack ermittelt wird, wen sollen wir verstandigen? 

In case your baggage has been located, whom shall we advise? 



Wohin soil das Gepack geschickt werden? 

Where do you want to have your baggage sent to? 

Wann und wo ging das Gepack verloren? 

When and where did your baggage get lost? 

Wo haben Sie Ihr Gepack zuletzt gesehen? 

Where did you last see your baggage? 



Nach wieviel Gepackstucken und welcher Art suchen Sie? (Koffer, Hand- 
tasche etc.) Beschreibung, (Farbe etc.). 

After how many pieces of baggage are you looking for and what kind (trunk, 
suitcase, etc.), description (color, etc.). 

Wie sind die Stiicke gezeichnet? 1st der Koffer im innern Rauin auch 
gezeichnet ? 

How are the pieces marked? Is the trunk also marked on the 
inside? 

Inhalt des Gepacks? (Geben Sie Material an.) 

Contents of baggage (state material) ? ■ — 

Wert ungefahr? (Value approximately.) 

Fiir welcheu Zug (Datum) und nach welchem Ort ist Ihr Gepack bestimmt 

gewesen ? 

On what train (give date) and to what place was your baggage checked? 



Abgangsort war 

Point of origin was 



Bestimmungsort war 

Point of destination was 



Lagert Ihr Gepack noch bei einer Dampfergesellschaft? Wenn nicht, wo 
lagert es jetzt? (Namen der Dampfergesellschaft, Oder Strasse, Hausnummer 
und bei wem zuriickgehalten?) 

Is your baggage still at the baggage room of any of the steamship com- 
panies? If not, where is it stored now? (Give name of steamship company, 
or street number, town, and person by whom kept back.) 

Ich beauftrage hiermit die Gepackabteilung der Amerikanischen Botschaft 
zu Berlin, nach meinem Gepack zu recherchieren und habe derselben heute 

meinen Gepacksckein No. von der Gesellshaft ausgehiindigt als 

auch Schlussel. 

I hereby authorize the baggage department. American Embassy, Berlin, to 
search after my lost baggage, and have handed them to-day my baggage check 

No. from the company and also keys. 

Unterschrift des Besitzers. 

Signature of owner. 

Vertreten durch (name and adresse) 

Represented by (name and address) 

Bemerkungen 

Remarks 



Datum 
Date — 



REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 75 

Notice to Americans. 

American Relief Commission, 
Hotel Kaiserhof, Berlin, September 9, 1914- 
The Berlin Chamber of Commerce has made arrangements with the manage- 
ment of the Hotel Central to take all Americans at the following rates, includ- 
ing board and room : 

Adults: Marks, 6.50; service, 75 pfennings; total, 7.25 per day. 
Children: Marks, 3.50. 

Your baggage will be taken to this hotel and the expense of transporting same 
will be placed on your hotel bill. 

Omnibuses will be waiting at the entrance to the station to take you to the 
hotel. The expense of this transportation will be chargeable to your hotel bill. 
Those people in need of relief will be permitted to draw an amount of money 
in excess of their fare to London, to cover hotel and transportation expense. 

E. G. Blakeslee, 
Lieutenant, United States Navy, 

Chairman Reception Committee. 



Travel and Baggage Arrangements. 

American Relief Commission, 
Hotel Kaiserhof, Berlin, , 1914. 

Please note that any inquiries received for first-class or second-class passage 
may be referred to Mr. Gaston, at the baggage department, Hotel Kaiserhof, 
who can give special introductions to London steamship agents. 

These are reportd to have ample accommodations immediately available at 
ordinary fares. 

A special department has now been organized at the Hotel Kaiserhof to deal 
with lost and unclaimed baggage. A systematic search, with official coopera- 
tion on the part of the German and other Continental Governments, is being 
prosecuted, and it is hoped that in the near future a large number of trunks, 
etc., will be located and released. 

Anyone in Germany or other countries who knows of baggage which has been 
left of necessity by the owners will confer a favor by communicating at once 
with the American committee. This department is in charge of Mr. E. P. 
Gaston, an American resident staying at the Hotel Adlon, Berlin, offices at 
Hotel Kaiserhof. 

The forwarding agents, Messrs. Brasch & Rothenstein, have written to the 
ambassador that they would, as far as in their power, deliver, free of charge, 
baggage to Americans belonging to Americans. 
Very respectfully, 



Chief of Transportation, American Relief Commission. 

Sample of Receipt Issued by Cash Register. 
H *— 00.00 
For railroad or steamer ticket present this receipt. 



Identification Card for Applicants. 
Description of . 



Age, . Forehead, . Eyes, . Nose, . Mouth, 

Chin, . Hair, . Complexion, . Face, . 

Date, . Ship, . Date of sailing, . 

Financial relief, . Other relief, . 

Signature, . 



76 REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

Circular No. 1. 



American Relief Association, 
Kaiserhof Hotel, Berlin, 
August, 21, 19U- 
To all Americans living at present in 
Germany and desiring information, ad- 
vice, or financial assistance, we want 
to say the following : 

People with means should proceed 
to the Hague or Berlin and report to 
the American Relief Committee, who 
will give them information how to get 
to the United States. 

People without means will be as- 
sisted as soon as officers can be sent to 
the various points where there are 
large numbers of Americans. At pres- 
ent, we have one officer at Munich. 
Another will be sent to Hamburg on 
Monday, to proceed later to Bremen, 
Hanover, and Braunschweig. Another 
officer will also be sent to Dresden 
within a few days. 



As soon as pressure is relieved in 
Berlin, other officers will be sent to 
other large towns to relieve people 
without means. 

Third-class passage for men only on 
Rotterdam steamers, sailing September 
12, 19, and 26, can be secured by ap- 
plying to agents in Rotterdam. 



It is desired that all Americans 
should leave for home at once. 

United States war vessels sent to 
Europe are, so far, not intended for 
passengers. 



American Relief Association, 

Kaiserhof Hotel, Berlin, 
den 21. August 191.). 

Allen Amerikanern, welche gegen- 
wartig in Deutschland leben und Aus- 
kunft, Rat Oder Geldunterstiitzung 
wiinschen, haben wir folgendes initzu- 
teilen : 

Leute, welche Mitt el besitzen, sollen 
sich nach dem Haag begeben und beim 
Amerikanischen Relief Koinite vor- 
sprechen, das ihnen Auskunft geben 
wird wie sie nach den Vereinigten 
Staaten kommen konnen. 

Leute, welche keine Mittel besitzen, 
werden unterstiitz werden, sobald es 
moglish ist, Beamte nach den verschie- 
denen Punkten zu senden, wo sich eine 
grossere Anzahl Amerikaner aufhiilt. 
Gegenwartig ist ein Beamter in Miin- 
chen. Am Montag wird ein anderer 
Beamter nach Hamburg geschickt wer- 
den und spater nach Bremen, Han- 
nover und Braunschweig. Biunen 
wenigen Tagen werden wir einen 
Beamten auch nach Dresden entsenden. 

Sobald der Druck unserer Gesckafte 
in Berlin nachgelassen hat, werden 
andere Beamte nach anderen Gross- 
stiidter entsandt werden, um mittel- 
lose Leute zu unterstiitzen. 

Dritte Klasse Ueberfahrt nur fiir 
Herren von Rotterdam aus ist wie 
folgt : September 12., September 19. 
und September 26. und kann durch die 
Schiffsagentur in Rotterdam erlangt 
werden. 

Es ist erwiinscht, . dass alle Ameri- 
kaner sofort die Heimreise antreten. 

Amerikanische Kriegsschiffe, die 
nach Europa kommen, sind vorlaufig 
nicht fiir die Aufnahme von Passagiere 
bestimmt. 

J. A. Ryan, 
Major of Cavalry, Chief of Party, 

American Relief Association. 



EEPOET ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 



77 





* 



_i*>tmic03>5=l^^i2^t!5?; 



c SJi« 







30NvyjLN3 1ivTdSW-l3HTIM 3HJ. 9M13VJ J-NOMd SIHX. 



DAILY AMERICAN BULLETIN. 

[Published by authority of the American Relief Commission, Hotel " Der Kaiserhof," 
Berlin under the auspices of the American Association of Commerce and Trade in Berlin, 
Equitable Building, 59 and 60 Friedrichstrasse. Vol. 1. Berlin, Sept. 12, 1914. No. 8.] 



OFFICIAL DIRECTORY. 

American Embassy, 7 Wilhelinsplatz, 
Hon. James W. Gerard, ambassador. 

American consulate general, Fried- 
richstrasse 61, Hon. Julius G. Lay, 
consul general. 

The American Relief Commission, 
under direction of the Assistant Sec- 
retary of War, in charge of the Berlin 
office is composed of Maj. J. A. Ryan, 
United States Cavalry, chief of party; 
Maj. J. H. Ford; Maj. G. W. Martin; 
Capt. Miller; Capt. Fenton. Head- 
quarters : Hotel Kaiserhof. 

American Association of Commerce 
and Trade, Friedrich-Str. 59/60 (cor- 
ner of Leipziger Str.). Office hours: 
Week days, from 10 to 5. Phone, Cen- 
trum 8422. 

Reading room with large collection 
of American papers. Officers : Presi- 
dent, I. Wolf, jr. ; first vice president, 
W. A. Derrick ; second vice president, 
M. C. McCann; third vice president, 
L. Ph. von Witzleben ; treasurer, Rich- 
ard Siering. Directors: P. G. Bender 
(Burroughs Adding Machine Co.), Si- 
mon L. Bernheimer (Gebr. Mosse, New- 
York). John C. Knapp (Otis Elevator 
Co.), Al. Peters, general representative 
of International Marine Co. of New 
York and Holland-America Line of 
Rotterdam, John G. Simon (Rice & 
Hutchins), J. M. Daffron (Litosite 
Co. of America), Paul Koning (Ameri- 
can Smelting & Refining Co.), Dr. 
George A. Kubler (Akron Varnish Co., 
Akron, Ohio), D. Victor Schneider. 
The object of the association is to give 
information and assistance free of 
charge to all American business men 
wishing to do business in Germany. 
Apply by letter or personally to the 
secretary, George S. Atwood. 

American relief fund : Mrs. Gerard, 
Mrs. Gherardi, Mrs. Ruddock, Mrs. 
' Walker. 

FOREWORD. 

In issuing this Bulletin the American 
Relief Commission have in mind the 

78 



need of thousands of their fellow citi- 
zens for information in regard to mat- 
ters which have now become vital. 

LOCATION OF RELATIVES AND FRIENDS. 

The first concern is for the location 
and safety of friends and relatives. 
The Bulletin will publish inquiries 
from those desiring to procure infor- 
mation. 

IN GENERAL. 

It is necessary, above all, to be calm, 
patient, and considerate in this trying 
time, to make the best of the situation 
which, it should constantly be remem- 
bered, is infinitely more vexatious and 
serious for those among whom we find 
ourselves. Our true character will be 
revealed by the way in which we meet 
such an emergency. Meanwhile the 
commission, in fullest cooperation 
with the American ambassador, and 
availing itself of the cordial and help- 
ful sympathy of all, will use every 
possible means to give comfort and aid 
to those in need here, and to hasten 
the return of all to their own shores. 

REGISTRATION. 

Transient Americans should register 
at the American Embassy, Wilhelms- 
platz 7, and at the consulate general, 
61 Friedrichstrasse. 

Registration of American citizens. — 
Americans who have to remain in Ber- 
lin should not fail to register as Amer- 
ican citizens at the American consu- 
late general, where further details 
concerning the registration (in con- 
formity with the act of Congress of 
Mar. 2. 1907) are obtainable. Fried- 
richstr. 61. 

Amerika Institut (Universitiits-Str. 
8 and floor. Phone Zentrum. 5630) — 
Office hours : Week days, from 10 to 5 ; 
Saturdays, from 10 to 3. The aim of 
the Amerika Institut. under the aus- 
pices of the Prussian ministry of edu- 
cation, is to advance the cultural rela- 
tions between Germany and the United 



REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 



79 



States Americans coming as students 
for special studies, or as Government 
officials, or professors on leave of ab- 
sence, or representatives of scientific 
organizations or learned societies will 
be rendered all possible assistance by 
applying to tbe director, Dr. R. W. 
Drechsler. A large library about 
9,200 volumes, is at tbe disposal of the 
visitors wben calling. 

American Express Co. m. o. H. (Ber- 
lin Cbarlottenstrasse 55).— Office open 
week days from 9 to 6. Pbone Zen- 
trum 7402, 2010. American public writ- 
ing and reading room; 25 copies of 
American newspapers on file. Travel- 
ers' cbecks and letters of credit casbed. 
The American Relief Commission, 
sent here by act of Congress, bas funds 
for tbe transportation and subsistence 
of all American citizens wbo are in 
need. Any American can secure trans- 
portation to tbe United States by ap- 
plying to tbe American Relief Com- 
mission at tbe Hotel Kaiserbof (Wil- 
helms-Platz entrance). No funds are 
available for loan by persons desiring 
to remain in Germany, nor can checks 
of any kind be casbed. People with 
funds should not apply, to tbe relief 
commission, but should proceed to Rot- 
terdam and thence to London, where 
steamship passage can be obtained to 
the United States. People proceeding 
to London will be met at the railway 
station at London by the ladies' com- 
mittee of the relief association. Spe- 
cial attention is paid to young women 
traveling alone. This committee has 
lists of hotels and addresses where 
board and lodging can be obtained, 
and can supply information of any 
kind. 

American public reading room (me 
largest in Germany, 6 U. d. Linden. 
Al. Peters).— Open week days from 9 
to 7. On file the latest copies of over 
60 of the leading American newspa- 
pers of the principal cities in the 
United States. 

don'ts (only paetially impersonal). 

Don't worry; to do so is to annoy 
yourself and, what is more important, 
others. 

Don't forget you have no monopoly 
of troubles. 

Don't generate a fog in your own 
mind ; a spirit of unrest obfusticates. 

Don't grab a stateroom for four 
when there are but two in your party. 

Don't forget that riches and a sense 
of comfort depend on what you know 
how to do without. 
70274—14 6 



Don't forget that there are others 
just as human as you who want to get 
home too. 

Don't forget the committee is com- 
posed of volunteers, wbo are trying 
their best to help you. 

"Don't forget that politeness wins 
where rudeness falls down." 

Don't ask foolish questions. 

INFORMATION. 

Special trains. — The commission is 
making every effort to secure a special 
train for next Thursday; definite an- 
nouncement will be made in a day or 
two. People not intending to stay here 
indefinitely should take this opportun- 
ity of getting home, as no more special 
trains will be asked for after this one, 
and only the regular local trains will 
be running. The Daily Bulletin will 
be found at the United States Em- 
bassy, the American consulate general, 
61 Friedrichstrasse, the principal ho- 
tels, and at the offices of the com- 
mission. 

Checks. — No personal checks can be 
cashed by the commission, and Ameri- 
can checks on the American Express 
Co. should be cashed at their offices. 
The commission can not change money ; 
all exchanges should be arranged at 
the local banks. 

United States passports issued by 
the Department of State are good for 
two years, but before expiring such 
passports can be extended for another 
term of two years at the embassy or 
an American consulate. 

Emergency passports, good for six 
months only, can not be extended, and 
are issued only to avoid hardship to 
the applicant and when he is unable 
to await the arrival of the regular 
passport from Washington. 

The commission can not advance 
money on personal checks. 

The money appropriated by the 
United States Congress is solely for 
the purpose of conveying people back 
to the United States. The people in 
Germany to whom Americans owe 
money must be satisfied to take their 
promissory notes to cover debts; the 
United States are willing to take 
promissory notes for money advanced 
for their transportation. 

Money quotations. — Approximate 
quotations of rubels, gulden, francs, 
sovereigns, and Austrian kronen may 
be obtained by applying to the main 
office of the Berlin Commerz and Dis- 
conto Bank, 46 Behren-Strasse. 

Baggage. — Mr. Gaston is now at the 
office of the commission in Berlin, and 



80 



REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 



will transport trunks which people are 
unable to take away. 

All trains arriving from Budapest 
or Vienna will be met by the station 
committee, including Lieut. Blakslee, 
Mr. Winslow, and Herr Franke. 

Letters of credit and American 
checks will be cashed only at the main 
office of the bank they are drawn on 
(not at the branch offices called de- 
positen kassen). 

American checks on American banks 
can not be cashed in Germany, but the 
banks here will take them for collec- 
tion, in which case they must mail 
them to the United States and have 
the validity verified, either by letter 
or cable, upon receipt of which the 
money will be paid. Checks from 
America should always be drawn on 
some bank in Germany and mailed by 
registered letter, as no identification 
when presenting the check is neces- 
sary. 

TRANSPORTATION. 

Holland-America Line. — First and 
second class sailings fully booked up 
on all Holland-America Lines in Sep- 
tember; for subsequent sailings on 
some of the steamers there are still 
some berths at regular rates. For 
further particulars apply to Al. Peters, 
6 Unter den Linden. All third-class 
applications should be addressed to 
American Relief Commission, Hotel 
Kaiserhof. 

Transportation from Rotterdam on 
the Holland-America Line is limited 
to third class only, as follows: Sept. 
19, steamship Noordam, 40 inclosed 
cabins (for women). 150 open steerage 
(for men only). Sept. 26, steamship 
Ryndam, 150 open steerage (for men 
only). Besides these boats from Hol- 
land, the following steamers are leav- 
ing from English ports: 

Liverpool to Neio York. — Aug. 26, 
New York, American Line ; Aug. 27, 
Cedric, White Star Line ; Aug. 29, 
Philadelphia, American Line; Aug. 29, 
Mauretania, Cunard Line ; Aug. 29, 
Saxonia, Cunard Line; Sept. 3, Celtic, 
White Star Line; Sept. 5, Campania, 
Cunard Line; Sept. 5, St. Louis. Amer- 
ican Line ; Sept. 10, Baltic, White Star 
Line; Sept. 10 Adriatic, White Star 
Line; Sept. 12, St. Paul, American 
Line ; Sept. 12, Lusitania, Cunard 
Line; Sept. 16, 'New York, American 
Line; Sept. 19, Phialdelphla, American 
Line; Sept. 19, Mauretania, Cunard 
Line; Sept. 24, Cedric, White Star 
Line; Sept. 26, St. Louis, American 
Line; Sept. 26, Campania. Cunard 
Line; Oct. 1, Celtic, White Star Line. 



Liverpool to Philadelphia. — Sept. 2, 
llaverford, American Line; Sept. 16, 
Donion, American Line ; Sept. 23, 
Merion, American Line. 

Liverpool to Boston. — Aug. 25, Ara- 
bic, White Star Line; Aug. 29, Cana- 
dian, Leyland Line ; Sept. 1, Laconia, 
Cunard Line; Sept. 4, Bohemian, Ley- 
land Line; Sept. 8, Cymric, White Star 
Line; Sept. 15, Franconia, Cunard 
Line; Sept. 22, Arabic, White Star 
Line; Sept. 25, Bevonian, Leyland 
Line; Sept. 29, Alaunia, Cunard Line; 
Oct. 1. Canadian, Leyland Line. 

London {or Southampton) to New 
York. — Aug. 29, Minnetonka, Atlantic 
Transport Line; Sept. 12, Minneivaska, 
Atlantic Transport Line; Sept. 19, 
Minnehaha, Atlantic Transport Line; 
Sept. 22, Minnetonka., Atlantic Trans- 
port Line. 

NOTES OF THE COMMISSION. 

A number of cases have been pre- 
sented to the commission of people 
applying for relief who were not Amer- 
ican citizens. It must be distinctly 
understood that relief can only be 
granted bona fide American citizens. 
It can not be impressed too much upon 
people leaving on the special trains 
that they should arrange to have their 
baggage checked the night before, and 
should arrive at the station at least 
one-half hour before the train leaves. 

All Americans here on jpleasure or 
for educational purposes are advised 
to return to the States, if possible, un- 
til peace is restored in Europe. Amer- 
icans without means can apply to the 
relief commission, and will be taken 
care of, except those who are not bona 
fide American citizens. The relief 
commission is. authorized to pay for 
transportation and subsistence to 
stranded Americans, in order to en- 
able them to return to the United 
States. 

Great satisfaction has been expressed 
by Americans stopping at the Central 
Hotel on account of the courtesy shown 
them there. The management greatly 
assisted the American commission in 
taking care of Americans who have 
been compelled to remain in Berlin. 

American Church, Motz-Str. 6 (Nol- 
Icndorf-Platz). — Service: Sundays at 
11.30 a. m. : Sunday school at 10.15 
a. m. ; Sunday afternoon lecture and 
social gathering at 4.30 p. m. : young 
people's service every Wednesday at 
8.30 p. m. ; circulating library open 
daily from 10 a. m. to 10 p. m. 

First Church of Christ, Scientist. — 
Sunday service : 32 Kothener Strasse 
(in Beethoven-Saal) at 11.30 a. m. ; 



REPORT ON RELIEF OP AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 



81 



library, Dessauer Strasse 32, open 
daily except Sunday and German legal 
holidays from 10 to 8 and on Satur- 
day till 10 p. m. ; meetings Wednesday 
at 6.45 p. m. in Beethoven-Saal. 

Anglo-American Medical Associa- 
tion. — Friedrich-Str. 105 (Atlas Ho- 
tel). Phone, Norden 4 285. 

Episcopal Church, St. George's, Mon- 
oijou-Platz 6-9).- — Service: Sunday at 
11 a. m. and 6 p. m. ; at 9 a. m. holy 
communion. 

Hediyigs Kirchc (Roman Catho- 
lic). — Near opera house. 

MAIL GOING THROUGH THE EMBASSY. 

Full German postage should be 
placed on letters. As a rule only pri- 
vate letters from Americans will be 
taken ; business letters only when pre- 
viously submitted to the embassy. Let- 
ters to be written in English when pos- 
sible and left unsealed. No newspa- 
pers or letters containing bulky in- 
closures will be sent. On the grounds 
of neutrality the American Embassy is 



not in a position to forward mail to 
countries at war with Germany. 

WHO'S WHERE? 

List I. — -The American consul gen- 
eral wishes to be informed of the 
whereabouts of the following Ameri- 
cans. (Here follow names of persons 
of whom information is requested.) 
List II.- — (List of names follow.) 
List III — (List of names follow.) 
List IV. — Information desired about 
the following persons by cable from 
Department of State to Stettin. (List 
of names follow.) 

List V. — (List of names follow.) 
List VI. — Information desired about 
the following persons by cable from 
the Department of State to Hamburg. 
[List of names follow.] 

All communications for the Ameri- 
can Bulletin should be handed in at 
the offices American Association of 
Commerce and Trade, 59-60 Fried- 
richstrasse, or at the Hotel Kaiser hof. 



APPENDIX D. 



United States Relief Commission, 

The Hague, Holland, September 14, 1914- 
From : Capt. A. H. Sunderland, chief of party. 
To: The Assistant Secretary of War, United States special com- 
missioner. 
Subject: Report of operations of Hague party. 

1. In compliance with telegraphic instructions dated London, 
September 11, 1914, the following report is submitted: 

2. This party consists of Capt. A. H. Sunderland, Coast Artillery 
Corps, chief of party ; Capt. E. D. Ardery, Corps of Engineers, dis- 
bursing officer, with Thomas H. Walsh, Quartermaster clerk. 

Capt. Sunderland and Capt. Ardery arrived at The Hague about 
11.30 p. m. on August 21. 

3. The morning of August 22 I went directly to the American 
legation with Maj. R} T an and got what information I could concern- 
ing the conditions in The Hague. I found that the American 
minister had been rendering assistance to Americans and im- 
mediately saw that it would be necessary to cooperate with him and 
get his consent to take the relief office out of the legation. Most of 
the day we spent in observing methods, looking over suitable quar- 
ters, and obtaining a conference with the minister. One keg of gold, 
$50,000, had been left for the use of The Hague party. Late in the 
day this was brought from Scheveningen and put in the safe-deposit 
vaults of the Marx & Co.'s Bank. 

4. August 23 was Sunday and the day was spent in securing suit- 
able office rooms and assistance. Two rooms were leased at 13 
Kneuterdijk for one month. These rooms are within 300 yards of 
the legation. 

5. Notice was immediately posted in the legation by the minister 
that all relief work could be immediately taken up by this relief 
party. There were hundreds of Americans in the city at that time, 
and for the first two days, owing to the small office force, there was 
a great congestion around the office. 

6. There are very few permanent American residents at The 
Hague, and this office had all along had to rely for assistance upon 
persons passing through who could stay for only a few days. As 
soon as it was possible to learn the means of getting to London and 
the sailings of the Holland- America Line an orderly method of 
distributing information was organized. 

7. The work here consists mostly in advising people who come 
from Berlin and other points in Germany what to do. All trains 
having Americans on board coming over the Holland Railroad are 

82 



REPORT ON BELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 



83 



met at the Holland-Germany frontier by a representative of this 
office, who distributes circulars setting forth all information at hand 
concerning time-tables and sailings of ships (copy inclosed . Un 
the States Eailway a different system is used, owing to the tact 
that very few people are coming in now over that line. All trains 
that are known to be bringing Americans are met, but the circulars 
are placed on the train by representatives of the railroad at difler- 
ent points. Whenever possible a representative is put aboard a train 
from Berlin at Amsterdam, and between Amsterdam and I he Hague 
or Rotterdam, as the case may be, this representatives goes through 
the train distributing information and advising people what to do. 
This advice is to the single effect that unless they have tickets on the 
Holland- America Line all persons should proceed to London at an 
early date, to take advantage of the many ships sailing from English 
ports to America. Every effort is made to cause these people to leave 
trains arriving in the night at The Hague, instead of going on to 
Rotterdam. The hotel accommodations in Rotterdam are very lim- 
ited, and most of the time the only rooms available in the city are 
those in private homes, and it is very difficult to distribute a tram- 
load of people over the city and get them comfortably located in 
such places. At The Hague and Scheveningen there has always 
been a great surplus of accommodations, and little or no difficulty 
is experienced in housing people quickly and comfortably. More 
or less difficulty has been encountered with the persons holding 
American passports and other evidences of citizenship, but who 
apparently have strong anti-English feeling. Such people frequently 
obfect to going to England, and, owing to the fact the Holland- 
America Line accommodations are sold up well into October, com- 
plications arise. However, nearly all such cases have been indi- 
vidually arranged for. At present several cases are pending wherein 
the applicant is plainly a resident of America but not a citizen, and 
according to the instructions of this- party no assistance can be 
rendered him. I am awaiting instructions concerning these cases, 
as several of them, I think, merit consideration. 

8 A rather small percentage of the persons passing through Ihe 
Hague report here for assistance. By distributing circulars on 
trains and keeping an up-to-date bulletin board, with several as- 
sistants in the hall, those who merely want information or confirma- 
tion of rumors are sent away contented. Those who desire financial 
assistance are then required to register and give the necessary infor- 
mation concerning their condition, so that all the necessary papers 
may be completed. After all papers are completed the disbursing 
officers pays them in American gold, Dutch money, or by ticket to 

°9 Almost immediately after opening the office I realized the great 
difficulty in getting clerical assistance at this point. The Tennessee 
was at that time lying off the Hook of Holland I appealed to ^C apt. 
Martindale for clerical assistance. He sent Clerk Pugh with the 
understanding that the transfer would hold till the return from 
Berlin of the Assistant Secretary of War. A day or so later Mr. 
Riordan and Mr. Dowd came to the office and rendered great assist- 
ance All these men were suddenly ordered to go aboard the 1 en- 



1 Not printed. 



84 EEPOET ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN" CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

nessee. This left no office force at all, and for two days very little 
relief work was accomplished. Upon the return from Berlin of Mr. 
Wilmeth, he directed the transfer to this office of a permanent clerk 
and another keg of gold. Quartermaster Clerk Thomas Walsh was 
sent and has been with the party ever since. Treasury Clerks Shep- 
ard and Walcott reported at the same time. Mr. E. P. Bicknell also 
directed Mr. S. E. Stein, of the Red Cross, to come ashore and assist. 

10. The party now consists of Capts. Sunderland and Ardery, 
Quartermaster Clerk Walsh, Red Cross Clerk Stein, and about 15 
assistants. Most of the assistants are Americans, who stay from 1 
to 14 days, awaiting sailing dates, and assist on condition that the 
Relief Commission pay their expenses while here. The office work 
is very heavy, owing to the great amount of telegraphing and relay- 
ing telegrams concerning State Department deposits. An informa- 
tion office is maintained at Rotterdam. 

11. Mr. Wilmeth remained a few days after his return from 
Berlin and then went to London, accompanied by Messrs. Riordan 
and Dowd. Clerk Wolcott followed a few days later with a keg of 
gold. This keg and the one sent a few days later by Clerk Shepard 
were not part of the funds transferred to the disbursing officer here, 
but were two of the three kegs put ashore from the Tennessee by 
Mr. Wilmeth upon his return from Berlin. The third keg, less 
amount paid Hague bankers to secure paper indorsed by Minister 
Van Dyke, is now at the legation. This is not on the papers of the 
disbursing officer. 

12. The consul at Amsterdam reported a very serious state of 
affairs in that city, and Clerk Shepard was immediately sent there 
with $5,000. He found that there was not enough work to justify 
his being kept there, and I had already issued instructions for his 
return when he was ordered to take a keg of gold to London. It 
was necessary for the disbursing officer to go to Amsterdam later to 
settle several accounts left open by Mr. Shepard, who disbursed in 
all about $1,000 in Amsterdam. 

13. A special train arrives from Berlin every second day with 
about 300 persons aboard, and the last report from Berlin was to the 
effect that this condition would continue until about October 1 . Most 
of these people come provided with tickets to London. Others have 
bookings on the Holland-America Line. In a number of cases 
people with very little money have bought tickets on this line from 
agents in Germany for sailings in October, and had they not had 
such tickets they could have gone to England and sailed at a much 
earlier date. I have been unable to come to any satisfactory general 
arrangement with the company concerning such cases, but through 
my transportation agent many individual cases have been remedied. 

14. Soon after my arrival here a subcommittee of the American 
Bankers' Committee visited The Hague, and since then Americans 
have had no trouble in cashing letters of credit and travelers' checks. 

15. As indicated by my telegram of September 12 to Mr. Wilmeth, 
the financial status is as follows: 

Eeceived : 

Aug. 21 $50, 000. 00 

Aug. 26 50,000.00 

100, 000. 00 



REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 85 

Disbursed : 

Relief fund $17, 823. 65 

State Department deposits 4,450.00 

Estimated liabilities 2,000.00 

Available balance 75, 726. 35 

100, 000. 00 
The above item of estimated liabilities includes traveling and liv- 
ing expenses of assistants in Rotterdam, of assistants out on the rail- 
road lines, of assistants in the office, rent of office and furniture, 
electric light, telephone calls, and telegrams. I am informed by the 
minister, through whom all telegrams to other parties are sent," that 
this party will be called upon to pay for all telegrams pertaining to 
its operations. Considering that all messages from London to Ger- 
man and Austrian points are relayed here and that hundreds of long 
messages have been sent concerning State Department deposits, only 
a very rough estimate can be made of the cost of transmission, but it 
is bound to be very large. 

16. To date 650 persons have registered. Out of this number 431 
have received assistance. As stated above, the principal work of this 
office has been distributing information and seeing people comfort- 
ably housed while in Holland. This fact causes the overhead ex- 
penses to be very heavy in comparison with the amount of relief 
money disbursed to individuals. 

17. It is recommended that an order be issued, dated prior to 
August 21, 1914, designating this as a separate party. I heard Maj. 
Logan dictate such an order in the American legation here, but no 
copy of such an order was received. An order is here relieving Capt. 
Ardery and myself from the Berlin party, but an order creating this 
party would make the records more nearly complete. 

18. Since beginning this report Mr. Stein, of the Red Cross So- 
ciety, has left the party, and Clerk Walsh reports that his health is 
failing and that he will have to be relieved in a few days. The loss 
of these two men greatly handicaps the work of the party. 

A. H. Sunderland, 
Captain, Coast Artillery Corps. 



APPENDIX E. 



UNITED STATES RELIEF COMMISSION (PARTY OF FRANCE AND SWITZER- 
LAND). 

U. S. S. " Tennessee," 
Havre, France, /September 9, 191^. 
From : Chief of party of France and Switzerland, United States Re- 
lief Commission. 
To: The United States special commissioner. 
Subject: Report of relief work. 

1. Pursuant to your verbal orders given me at London August 
17, 1914, I proceeded with Capt. Coleman to Falmouth, England, 
where Capts. Sevier and Brinton joined me, and the party, with 
$200,000 in gold, transferred itself to the U. S. cruiser North Caro- 
lina. Capt. Brinton was designated as disbursing officer. The North 
Carolina sailed from Falmouth on the 18th and anchored at Cher- 
bourg on the following morning. 

2. It was found that there were no Americans at Cherbourg. Ac- 
cordingly arrangements were at once made to proceed to Paris. 
These arrangements were facilitated through the kindness of the 
local officials, who left nothing undone for the comfort of the party 
and the safety of the funds. Our train left Cherbourg August 19 
and arrived in Paris on the 20th. The gold was placed in the safe 
deposit vaults of the Equitable Trust Co. 

3. On August 21 Capt. Sevier, with $50,000 gold, was sent to Rome, 
pursuant to instructions received from you. Lieuts. Hoyt and Queke- 
meyer were sent with Capt. Sevier as assistants. The party was in- 
structed to consider itself as detached from my command. I know 
nothing of its further movements, except in so far as such movements 
are reported in a telegram sent me by Capt. Sevier, presumably for 
transmission to you. 

4. Capt. Ralston, acting under your instructions, proceeded from 
London to Paris, via Boulogne, in company with the American 
ambassador to •Spain. The latter requested me to detail Capt. Ral- 
ston to continue with him as far as San Sebastian, Spain, and I did 
as he desired. Capt. Ralston rejoined the party at Paris on Au- 
gust 24. 

5. On my arrival in Paris I found conditions as follows: 

(a) The sum of $100,000, relief funds, had been placed on deposit 
with the State Department in Washington to the credit of the 
American ambassador to France. The latter was able to draw on 
this fund whenever desired through a local bank, the rate of ex- 
change being 5 francs to the dollar. Maj. Cosby, the military at- 
tache, had been placed by the ambassador in general charge of this 
fund and expenditures from it. 
86 



REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 87 

(b) Under the general supervision of Maj. Cosby two relief offices 
had been opened. The first, under direct charge of Capt. Parker, 
with Lieuts. Summerville, Treat, Loomis, and Jouett as assistants, 
was located at the Chancery and had charge of the investigation of 
demands for relief and the corresponding distribution ot funds. 
The second was located at the embassy as an adjunct to the booking 
office of the American relief committee and was engaged in the issue 
of trans-Atlantic transportation in kind, Lieut. Burr being m direct 

(c) The American relief committee, a body composed of repre- 
sentative members of the American colony of Paris, had been or- 
ganized and was holding daily meetings at the embassy, the am- 
bassador usually attending. Subcommittees, composed of practical 
business men, had charge of special lines of work, such as rail trans- 
portation, water transportation, baggage, hotel accommodations etc. 
The committee invited me to attend their meetings and I did so when- 
ever I was in the city. .■■,-, j * 

(d) The subcommittee on rail transportation had arranged tor six 
special trains, Geneva to Paris. Lieut. Greble had been sent to Switz- 
erland in connection with this matter. On his return he reported that 
the concentration of American tourists at Geneva and the entraining 
there were to be under the direction of the American minister to 
Switzerland, who had placed Maj. Lawton, United States Army, 
retired, in direct charge. 

6 The agencies described in the preceding paragraph appeared to 
be operating smoothly and efficiently. It therefore seemed to me to 
be inadvisable to supersede them in any way or to open an additional 
office. The ambassador, who had expressed himself as willing to 
turn over Mai. Cosby 's work to me if I so desired, appeared to be 
pleased with my decision not to disturb in any way the existing 
order of things. He was anxious, however, that the gold com brought 
bv mv party should be held available for emergency use in case con- 
ditions should become such as to induce the banks to close their doors. 

7 The accounting system in use by Maj. Cosby in connection with 
the" expenditure of relief funds was not the same as that approved 
by you, nor was it, in my opinion, as efficient Accordingly, with 
Maj. Cosby's approval, my party occupied itself in installing your 
system in the offices distributing relief funds under Ma]. Cosby s 

niTPotl on • 

8. The schedule of special trains from Geneva called for two trains 
to arrive on August 27, two the following day, one on the 29th and 
one on the 30th. The arrangements for handling the passengers and 
their baggage at the Paris terminal were briefly as follows: 

(a) The subcommittee on cab and baggage service had arranged 
to meet the trains with the transportation necessary to take the pas- 
sengers and their baggage to hotels. 

(!) The subcommittee on hotels had arranged a list of hotels and 
pensions showing the number of guests that could be accommodated 
at each and the rates. This committee had been able to secuie at 
each of these hotels a special rate of 7 francs a day for a limited num- 
ber of guests certified by my party as unable to pay the usual tamtt. 
As the list of hotels included some of the most fashionable in the city 
the extent of this concession as to rates was very great. 



88 REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

(c) I had arranged to go with my party to Montargis (about five 
hours out from Paris) and there meet each train, returning with 
the same to Paris, and while en route booking the passengers to 
hotels, preparing the baggage checks for the baggage committee, giv- 
ing such general information as to trains, boats, hotels, relief work, 
police papers, etc., as could be anticipated, etc. To facilitate the dis- 
tribution of this information, handbills had been printed (copy 
hereto appended, marked " Exhibit A ") covering all of these points. 
The paragraph of this handbill dealing with passports and similar 
papers was worded by the officials of the local American consulate. 

9. The above-described arrangements were successfully carried out. 
I met the first of the three trains that actually were put through. I 
was assisted by Capt. Ralston and Lieut. Greble ; also by Mr. Poole, 
the American vice consul general at Paris. The two other trains 
were handled by Capt. Coleman in my absence. 

10. Col. Rebers arrangements for the special train of August 31 
appeared to me to be particularly good, and I adopted them in 
every respect. Col. Reber and the civilians associated with him 
deserve great credit. Among these civilians I noted Mr. Keene, our 
consul at Geneva ; Judge Scudder, an American tourist ; a Mr. Spach, 
whom I understand to be a United States Treasury official; and a 
Mr. Dexter, of Geneva. There are no doubt others equally deserving 
of praise. 

11. On September 1, while the third and last special train from 
Geneva to Paris was en route, the possibility of a German attack on 
Paris became so great that the American committee made arrange- 
ments for two special trains, Paris to Havre, for the following morn- 
ing. These trains were dispatched as scheduled, my party taking 
charge of the sale of tickets, assignment of seats, etc., which matters 
were conducted without confusion or disorder. With the departure 
of these trains and the regular trains of the same day, there remained 
in Paris no Americans except such as did not choose to avail them- 
selves of the opportunities for departure offered them by their Gov- 
ernment. I am informed that there were more tourists in Havre 
during the night of September 2-3 than there were hotel accommoda- 
tions for. As it turned out, this discomfort might have been avoided 
by holding some of these people a day or two longer in Paris. It is 
believed, however, that the committee acted wisely in hurrying these 
tourists out of the city rather than run the risk of having their exit 
cut off. Maj. Henry, United States Army, was in charge of relief 
work at Havre in connection with disposition to be made of passen- 
gers leaving Paris at this time. He was detailed for this duty by the 
ambassador at Paris, and was not under my command. 

12. Beginning August 24 Capt. Brinton and the civilian clerk, 
Mr. Porter, were engaged in the work of transferring to individuals 
funds deposited with the State Department at Washington. This 
duty was undertaken at the request of the ambassador. During the 
breakdown of ordinary banking methods immediately following the 
outbreak of war, this method of supplying money to tourists was 
not only a great accommodation to the individuals so supplied, but 
it was of advantage to the Government in that it lessened the demands 
on the special appropriation for the relief of American citizens. 
With the resumption by the banks, however, of their ordinary activi- 
ties — and as far as Paris was concerned this resumption took place 



EEPOET ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN" CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 89 

before the arrival of the Tennessee in European waters — these trans- 
fers became, in my opinion, entirely unnecessary. The tourists pre- 
ferred to do their banking with the Government, because the latter 
gave them more favorable rates of exchange and, perhaps, also more 
respectful attention. But such a practice is not a usual function of 
our form of government, and its continuance after the emergency 
had passed is believed not to have been justified by existing condi- 
tions. 

13. My work in Paris practically ceased with the departure of the 
special train of September 2. On September 5 I left the city in 
obedience to your verbal order and proceeded to Havre, where, on 
the 8th, I went on board the Tennessee. 

14. Besides the exhibit specially referred to above, there are 
attached hereto copies of all travel and other written orders issued 
by me while in command of the party of France and Switzerland. 

C. A. Hedekin, 
Major, United States Cavalry. 



Exhibit A. 

United States Relief Commission, French Party, 

Paris, August 27, 191^. 

1. By special arrangement with the French Government, special trains have 
been provided sufficient to transport to Paris within the next four days, not 
only some 3,000 Americans now in Switzerland but also their baggage. In view 
of the pressing needs of the Government for railway transportation for military 
purposes, it is evident that these special trains have been provided at a 
sacrifice and as a particular mark of favor to the American people. 

2. The American ambassador in bringing these Americans to Paris has made 
himself, to a certain extent, responsible for them. It is necessary that he should 
at all times know the Paris address of every individual concerned, which would 
be impossible if each of these individuals, on his arrival in Paris, were to seek 
his own lodging. Moreover such a procedure would result in confusion in the 
transportation from the railroad station to hotels since such transportation is 
now extremely limited, also in confusion due to overcrowding at some of the 
hotels and in the handling of baggage. 

3. American Army officers, in uniform, will board each special train at Fon- 
tainebleau, and will assign each passenger to a hotel or pension, giving all 
possible consideration to the requirements of each passenger as regards the 
price he is able to pay. The only exception to this rule will be in the case of 
passengers who have previously made hotel reservations. As these reservations 
constitute an agreement with the hotel proprietor concerned, the passengers will 
be expected to live up to their agreements, but their addresses will be regis- 
tered by the officers on the train. An American committee will meet each 
train at Paris with transportation to hotels. 

4. In view of the great consideration shown by the French Government, and in 
view of the necessities of the case as explained above, it is hoped that Americans 
will go to the hotels assigned them and remain there until they leave Paris, or 
get permission at the American chancery to change their address. The situa- 
tion may involve some discomfort but no real hardship. It would seem due 
to our national reputation to accept this situation as it is and make the best 
of it. 

5. Any American who fails to go to the hotel assigned him, or who later 
changes his address without notice to the chancery, will be considered to have 
voluntarily removed himself from the protection of the embassy, which will 
thereupon notify the French Government that it disclaims further responsi- 
bility in his case. The result will be some form of restraint under martial law. 

6. Every passenger will be given, some time after his arrival in Paris, a spe- 
cial " Permis de sejour," entitling him to remain in Paris not more than eight 
days or to depart therefrom within eight days via the Gare du Nord or the Gare 



90 REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

St. Lazare. Those who do not receive such permits within 48 hours after their 
arrival should make inquiry in reference thereto at the chancery of the Ameri- 
can embassy, 5 Rue de Chaillot (hours, 10 to 12 and 2 to 5). Except for the 
purpose of this inquiry, all persons are urged to remain in their hotels until 
receipt of the " Permis de sejour." Failure to do so may result in arrest. Per- 
sons who wish to remain in Paris longer than eight days must secure an ordi- 
nary " Permis de sejour," and those who wish to depart otherwise than by the 
stations mentioned an ordinary " Permis de depart," from the commissaire de 
police for the arrondissement in which they are residing. The address of the 
commissaire de police is to be had from the concierge. Those who plan to go 
to England must also obtain a pass entitled " Bon pour l'Angleterre " from the 
British consulate general, 6 Rue de Montalivet (hours, 9 to 5). An American 
passport or a certificate of registration must be exhibited when application 
is made for the pass. Heads of families and conductors of bona fide touring 
parties may apply for and obtain passes for those whom they represent, but 
they must bring all the above required papers for each individual. Failure to 
comply explicitly with the above instructions relative to police papers involves 
liability to arrest and detention by the military authorities. 

7. The Rochambeau sails from Havre on August 29, the Flandre on the 31st, 
the Touraine on September 2, and the France on September 5. All passage ex- 
cept steerage is already booked on the Rochamheau and Flandre and to great 
extent on the Touraine and France. Steerage passengers on all these boats have 
the privileges of first-cabin passengers as regards use of deck space and public 
cabins. The food furnished is practically the same as at the first-cabin mess. 
The sleeping accommodations, while not commodious, are clean and comfort- 
able. Persons who are assigned steerage passage at the embassy, and who re- 
fuse to accept the same, will be considered to have forfeited all claim to the 
assistance of the embassy at a later date as regards trans-Atlantic passage. All 
applications for passage should be made at the embassy, 5 Rue Frangois 
Premier. 

8. Baggage of passengers will follow them to their lodgings without further 
effort on their part. The baggage trains are expected to arrive in Paris the 
night following the arrival of the corresponding passenger trains. 

C. A. Hedekin, Major, United States Cavalry. 



United States Relief Commission, French Party, 

Cherbourg, France, August 19, 1914. 
Orders No. 1. 

The following-named members of this party, now at Cherbourg, France, will 
proceed at once to Paris, France : 
Maj. C. A. Hedekin, Cavalry. 
Capt. LeVert Coleman, Coast Artillery Corps. 
Capt. G. Sevier, Coast Artillery Corps. 
Capt. L. C. Brinton, Coast Artillery Corps. 
Mr. George F. Porter. 

The travel enjoined is necessary in the public service. 
By direction of the United States special commissioner. 

C. A. Hedekin, 
Major, United States Cavalry, Chief of French Party. 



United States Relief Commission, French Partt, 

Paris, France, August 20, 1911f. 
Orders No. 2. 

Capt. R. R. Ralston, Corps of Engineers, now in this city, will proceed to the 
French-Spanish frontier as escort for Mr. Willard, United States ambassador 
to Spain. Upon completion of the duty enjoined, Capt. Ralston will return to 
this city. 

The travel enjoined is necessary in the public service. 
By direction of the United States special commissioner. 

C. A. Hedekin, 
Major, United States Cavalry, Chief of French Party. 



REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 91 

United States Relief Commission, French Party, 

Paris, France, August 20, 191Jf. 
Orders No. 3. 

1. Capt. G. Sevier, Coast Artillery Corps, First Lieut. C. S. Hoyt, Cavalry, 
and First Lieut. J. G. Quekmeyer, Cavalry, are designated as a separate party, 
and will proceed to Rome, Italy, for duty in connection with the relief of 
American citizens in that vicinity. 

2. Capt. L. C. Brinton, Coast Artillery Corps, special disbursing officer of 
the French party, will turn over to Capt. G. Sevier, Coast Artillery Corps, who 
is hereby designated special disbursing officer, the sum of $50,000 from the 
appropriation " Relief of American citizens." 

The travel enjoined is necessary in the public service. 
By direction of the United States special commissioner. 

C. A. Hedekin, 
Major, United States Cavalry, Chief of French Party. 



United States Relief Commission, French Party, 

Paris, France, August 28, 191Jf. 

Orders, No. 6. 

Maj. C. A. Hedekin, Cavalry, and Second Lieut. E. St. J. Greble, Third 
Field Artillery, will proceed to-morrow by automobile from this city to Geneva, 
Switzerland, for duty in connection with the " relief of American citizens " in 
Switzerland. Upon completion of the duty enjoined the party will return to 
Paris. 

The travel enjoined is necessary in the public service. 

By direction of the United States special commissioner : 

C. A. Hedekin, Major, Cavalry, 

Chief of Party. 



U. S. S. Tennessee, 
At Sea, September 6, 191k- 
From : Lieut. Col. Samuel Reber, Signal Corps. 
To : Maj. Charles A. Hedekin, United States Cavalry. 
Subject : Repatriation of Americans from Switzerland. 

1. In compliance with your request, I submit the following facts for your 
reports to the Assistant Secretary of War. 

2. On August 24 I received at Vevey, Switzerland, a telegram from the 
United States legation at Berne requesting me to proceed, via Berne, to Lucerne 
to assist in the movement of the Americans who were supposed to be at that 
place to Geneva, Switzerland, by special trains, which were to be provided by 
the legation at Berne. On the receipt of this telegram I called up Maj. Edward 
P. Lawton, retired, by telephone, and he informed me that the situation at Lu- 
cerne was not satisfactory, and asked me to proceed at once to Lucerne. Leav- 
ing Vevey at 6 p. m. on August 24, I reached Berne at 8.45 p. m., and imme- 
diately saw the American minister and Maj. Lawton, who gave me certain 
written instructions for the consular agent, informing me that the situation 
was very unsatisfactory and that there were eight hundred or a thousand Ameri- 
cans in the vicinity of Lucerne to be moved by two special trains, which were to 
leave Lucerne on Wednesday, the 26th. I asked the question what time would 
the trains leave Lucerne, and they both informed me that they did not know. 
I was promised that I would be advised by wire as to the hour of the departure 
of these trains. 

3. I left Berne at 6.45 a. m. on the 25th instant, and arrived at Lucerne at 
8.50 a. m., proceeding at once to the office of Mr. Julius Hartman, the American 
consular agent, and delivered the papers handed to me by the military attache. 
I soon found out that the affairs at Lucerne were not in a bad condition, 
that there had been an excellent committee organized to assist the consular 
agent, and all Americans had been listed, and that the majority of the Ameri- 
cans had departed for various places by the regular trains of the Swiss rail- 
road system. 

4. Not having received any telegram, at 11 a. m. I called up the legation at 
Berne by phone, and after a delay of 35 minutes I got the legation on the wire. 
Neither the minister or the military attache were at the legation, but some per- 



92 EEPOET ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

son informed me that a telegram had been sent stating that special trains in 
question would leave at 12.05 and 12.15 p. m. the following day. 

5. I immediately telegraphed this information to the outlying hotels and 
places where Americans were known to be stopping and bulletined all the 
hotels in Lucerne. 

6. On the morning of the 26th instant the regular train which leaves Berne 
at 7.38 a. m. carried about 150 Americans to Geneva. A careful estimate of 
the situation disclosed the fact that there could not be more than about 200 
Americans in the vicinity of Lucerne, and I instructed the station master to 
cancel one of the special trains scheduled for midday. 

7. At 11.20 a. m. on the 26th instant the American minister at Berne called 
me up by telephone and requested me not to bring the special trains thrcragh, 
because Geneva was greatly overcrowded, and that he had lost the special 
train provided by the French Government to take the Americans from Geneva 
to Paris in that way. I determined to disregard the instructions of the min- 
ister, so advised him, and left on the special train at 12.15, taking in all but 
39 men, women, and children. In passing through Berne I was met by the 
minister, who informed me in an agitated way that the city of Geneva was 
greatly overcrowded ; that the Americans were suffering great hardships there, 
being compelled to sleep in the station and on the streets. I asked him to 
wire Maj. Lawton and have him (Lawton) meet me at the station at Geneva 
on the arrival of the train. On my arrival at Geneva I found nobody at the 
station representing Maj. Lawton or the American consul, and there was no 
appearance of congestion. I advised the people on the train to select their 
hotels, go there, and subsequently apply to the consulate for information, 
stating that I would proceed at once there and ascertain the state of affairs. 
It may be stated parenthetically that an inquiry made to the police officials 
disclosed the fact that on that day there were suitable accommodations for 
at least 10,000 more people than were in the city. 

8. On arriving at the consulate I was advised by Maj. Lawton and Mr. 
Keene (the American consul) that they had lost the special train scheduled 
for that day, the 26th, and the station master had no orders for a special train 
from Geneva on the 27th. A visit was made to the station by myself, accom- 
panied by three Americans who volunteered their aid, and the station master 
told me that he had no instructions from the office of the P. L. M. (the French 
road to Paris), and he knew nothing of the special train. He telegraphed to 
his superior at Combassieres and told me as soon as he got word he would 
telephone the consulate. My voluntary committee and myself went to the 
consulate about 8.30 that evening and were told that word had been received 
from the station master that arrangements had been perfected for the special 
train the following day. 

9. The voluntary committee saw that the special train was made up, placed, 
loaded, and left at 1.20 p. in., carrying approximately 1,050 Americans. That 
afternoon, after information had been definitely given out concerning the special 
train for August 28, at the consulate, I was advised by the station master that he 
had no instructions for a special train for that day. I then returned to the consu- 
late and so advised Maj. Lawton, who said he did not know what to do, as arrange- 
ments for the train had been made by the ambassador at Paris, and he added 
that he was physically exhausted. I suggested that he go to bed, and told him 
that I would take care of the arrangements for the other special trains, which 
was easily accomplished. A system of numbering the compartments and seats 
was devised and the necessary printing done. Maj. Lawton was asked as to the 
number of Americans to be transported from Geneva, and he estimated over 
2,000. 

10. On the 28th a train of 21 cars was provided, each compartment numbered, 
and an organization at the station to take care of all Americans who had 
tickets and to check their luggage. This train was opened at 12.30 p. m., 
and as only 203 passengers presented themselves, 13 cars were cut off the train 
just previous to its departure at 1.20 p. m. 

Samuel Rebek, 
Lieutenant Colonel, Signal Corps. 

[First indorsement.] 

Washington, D. C, October IS, 191Jf. 
To the special commissioner of the United States in connection with my 
report as chief of the party of France and Switzerland. 

C. A. Hedekin, 
Major, Cavalry, United States Army. 



APPENDIX F. 



REPORT ON RELIEF WORK IN VIENNA, AUSTRIA, AUGUST 27 TO AUGUST 

31, 1914. 

From: Kelief party at Vienna, Austria. 

To: The honorable the Assistant Secretary of War and special 

commissioner of the United States. 
Subject: Eelief work at Vienna, Austria, under direction of Maj. 

James A. Logan, jr., Quartermaster Corps, from August 27 to 31, 

inclusive. 

August 26, notices were sent out in Vienna by messenger boys. 

August 27, the office on the ground floor of the Hotel Imperial 
was opened for business. Ground plan of the office is affixed to this 
report as ' Exhibit A.' 

Americans received information as to passports at table A, made 
out applications for relief at tables B, B, waited in line in the seats 

C, received money and order for second-class ticket to Berlin at table 

D, presented order and obtained ticket at table E. 

Whenever possible, money was advanced on sight draft; only a 
few travelers' checks were presented, and these were cashed in small 
amounts only. 

There was advanced to each destitute person 60 marks in German 
gold ($14.39) and a ticket to Berlin, value 51.40 kronen ($10.28). 
In exceptional cases only was money advanced to meet obligations 
such as bills for board and lodging, care of excess baggage, etc. 

A large part of the business of the office in these few days was 
supplying to Americans with funds information concerning trains 
and first and second class tickets to Berlin. They obtained an order 
for ticket from the chief of party, and upon presenting it at the table 
E received a ticket, for which they paid cash. 

Exhibit B and Exhibit C show form of orders for tickets. 

We used the standard form of receipt for cash advances, sight 
draft, and promissory note. 

Several individuals who required more than the standard sum of 
money were referred to the special commissioner of the United 
States. The majority of these cases were approved by him and the 
money paid, but there were a few applicants to whom no advance 
was made, due to lack of identification or indefinite plans of 
applicant. 

Special trains were obtained when possible, and the chief of party 
was at the station in most instances to see that the people and their 
baggage got away safely. When Maj. Logan was unable to attend 
to the trains this department was very satisfactorily administered 
by Mr. Szepassy, the interpreter. 

93 



94 EEPOKT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

On the 28th of August, Capt. Allan L. Briggs, the military attache 
at Vienna, relieved Maj. Logan as director of the office, and displayed 
marked skill and efficiency in dispatching the press of work then on 
hand. 

The special trains from Budapest occasioned no extra pressure at 
the office because the passengers were booked through to Berlin, but 
the chief of party was obliged to find hotel accommodations for a 
large number of those arriving in the evening, as there was no train 
out of Vienna until the following morning. 

Of the American citizens accommodated, certainly 90 per cent 
were naturalized citizens, and of the remainder at least half were 
negroes. 

The number of tickets issued in the five-day period was 139|, and 
125 were sold. 

Expenses were as follows : 

Aug. 27. Advances $929. 42 

Aug. 28. Advances 1. 478. 36 

Supplies and services 920. 52 

Aug. 29. Advances 1, 379. 33 

Supplies and services 28. 69 

Aug. 30. Advances _ 363. 88 

Supplies and services 335. 85 

Aug. 31. Advances 1. 315. 79 

Supplies and services 585. 96 

Sept. 1. Advances 

Supplies and services 560. 97 

Evidences of credit received were as follows : 

Sight drafts $6, 285. 76 

Promissory notes 528. 00 

Travelers' checks 270. 00 

On September 1 Maj. Ford arrived from Berlin, and the office 
was turned over to him by Maj. Logan. Funds transferred to Maj. 
Ford, $11,363.74. 

Before closing this report I must acknowledge with thanks the 
valuable and efficient assistance rendered the American relief party 
at Vienna by Miss Nellie Bly, Mrs. Fritz Kreisler, and Mr. Lucas, 
whose efforts went far toward lightening the burden carried by the 
chief of party and toward giving entire satisfaction to the great 
number of Americans whom it was our privilege to repatriate. 

Respectfully submitted. 

J. A. MacLatjghlhst, 
Clerk to Chief of Party. 



EEPOET ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 95 

Exhibit A. 




D 



□ 



D 



70274—14 7 



96 REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

Exhibit B. 

International Sleeping Car Co., Vienna, Austria: 

Provide the bearer with second-class tickets, Vienna, Austria, 

to Berlin, Germany, and charge to my account. 



Major, Quartermaster Corps, Chief of Party. 



Exhibit C. 



International Sleeping Car Co., Vienna, Austria: 

Sell to the bearer for cash class tickets, Vienna, Austria, to 

Berlin, Germany. 

Major, Quartermaster Corps, Chief of Party. 



APPENDIX G. 



BUDAPEST AND VIENNA. 

London, England, 
September £7, 19 H. 
To: The Honorable the Assistant Secretary of War. 
From : Capt. M. A. Cross, Coast Artillery Corps, United States Army. 
Subject : Report on relief work. 

1. This report is submitted in compliance with the verbal instruc- 
tions of the Assistant Secretary of War. 

On August 25, 1914, I was separated from the Berlin party, of 
which up to that time I had been a member, by the following orders : 

Berlin, Germany, 

August 25, 1914. 

1. Capt. M. A. Cross is relieved from further duty with the Berlin relief party. 

2. Maj. Ryan will direct his special disbursing officer to transfer to Capt. 
Cross $50,000 of the appropriation relief of American citizens and $1,000 of the 
appropriation pay of the Army, 1915. 

3. Capt. Cross will accompany the Assistant Secretary of War to Vienna, 
Austria. 

Henry Breckinridge, 
Assistant Secretary of War and Special Commissioner of the United States. 

Vienna, Austria, 

August 26, 1914. 
The Assistant Secretary of War. directs that Capt. M. A. Cross, United States 
Army, proceed to Budapest, Hungary, in connection with the relief work. 
The travel directed is necessary in the public service. 

James A. Logan. 

In compliance with the foregoing orders I proceeded to Vienna 
with the cash enumerated in the order. In Vienna I transferred 
$35,000 of the relief fund to Maj. Logan, and in compliance with 
verbal instructions changed $6,000 into Austrian paper at the rate of 
$1 equal 5 kronen; $6,000 into German paper at the rate of $1 equal 
4.19 marks; and bought £500, English gold, at $4.88. In addition, 
American gold coin was taken in amount sufficient to bring the total 
to $15,000 at the rates of exchange quoted. One thousand dollars, 
pay of the Army, 1915, was transferred to Maj. Logan in Vienna. 

I arrived in Budapest on the morning of August 27, 1914. The 
American consul general was away, and the vice consul general, Mr. 
F. E. Mallett, was in charge. He informed me that there were 
about 1,500 Americans who had registered at the consulate, and that 
he was sending out telegrams to all of them requesting all who 
desired to return to America to come at once to Budapest. 

Offices were secured without cost from the booking office of the 
National Railways, and arrangements were made for them to sell 

97 



98 REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

tickets to the individuals assisted. The sale of tickets was conducted 
at a desk adjacent to my own, and all persons assisted were required 
to purchase such tickets as they needed before leaving the office. 

Arrangements were made with the minister of railways to run a 
special train from Budapest on August 29, leaving the Eastern Sta- 
tion at 1 p. m. One hundred and eighty persons, each provided 
with tickets to Berlin, left by this train. A competent man who was 
going was designated as in charge, with certain others, one of whom 
was a physician, as assistants. 

After August 29 arrangements were made by which extra accom- 
modations were provided on regular trains. At 6 o'clock each evening 
the railway officials were advised as to the number of second and 
third class seats that would be required for the train leaving at 10.55 
for Vienna. A system was inaugurated by which Americans were 
allowed to pass through the gate to the train platform in advance of 
the other passengers by exhibiting a small American flag stamped 
with the date on which it was to be used. 

Until September 8 transportation was furnished only to Berlin and 
each individual was given a typewritten slip containing advice and 
instructions for the trip to Berlin and information as to how to 
secure assistance in Berlin. 

On September 7 telegraphic information was received by the 
consul general to the effect that no more accommodations were to 
be had in Berlin and requesting that persons sent from Budapest 
be provided with transportation direct to Rotterdam. In accordance 
with this request transportation was furnished to Rotterdam. On 
September 8 about 80 persons were sent to Rotterdam via Vienna, 
Munich, Frankfort, and Cologne, but after that date transporta- 
tion was provided via Berlin. 

On September 14 telegraphic information was received by the 
consul general from the minister to Holland to the effect that Rot- 
terdam and The Hague were full and no more people could be 
accommodated and that no more should be sent. Upon the receipt 
of this information a telegram was sent to the American consul in 
Genoa, Italy, requesting information as to what accommodations 
were to be had in Genoa, whether Americans could be sent direct 
from there to America, and whether a representative of the Relief 
Commission was there. Information was received to the effect that 
accommodations could be secured in Genoa, that Americans could 
be sent directly to America, and that Capt. Sevier, representing the 
commission, was there. Upon the strength of this information 
Americans were sent from Budapest to Genoa on September 15 
and 16. 

On September 5 information was received that a number of Amer- 
icans were in Bucharest and desirous of returning home. The 
minister at that place was advised that if possible they should be 
sent to Budapest, where asistance would be rendered them where 
necessary. He was also advised that if this were not possible funds 
should, be advanced where necessary and that reimbursement would 
be made after their arrival in Budapest. The consul in Fiume was 
similarly advised. In practically all cases applicants for relief were 
able to get to Budapest without advances from me; in some cases 
they were provided transportation to Budapest by the minister in 
Bucharest and the consul in Fiume. 



EEPOET ON RELIEF OP AMERICAxY CITIZENS IN EUEOPE. 99 

Many applicants in Hungary were unable to get to Budapest un- 
assisted, and in some cases they were advised to borrow the amount 
necessary for transportation to Budapest, and that if they were able 
to establish the fact of American citizenship the amount borrowed 
would be reimbursed in Budapest. In two cases money was sent to 
individuals, and they were required to sign evidences of credit and 
receipts upon their arrival in Budapest. 

On September 12 I was advised by Maj. Ford that he had been 
ordered to Berlin temporarily, and was requested by him to proceed 
at once to Vienna to take charge of the office there. Inasmuch as 
two parties of Americans were then on their way to Budapest from 
Roumania it was deemed inadvisable to close the Budapest office at 
that time, and a telegram Avas sent to Maj. Ford to the effect that 
unless it were absolutely necessary to go at once to Vienna I would 
remain in Budapest a few days longer. On September 16 I closed 
the office in Budapest, and upon the request of the American am- 
bassador in Vienna proceeded to that place, where I took charge 
of the office pending the return of Maj. Ford. At that time it was 
expected that upon his return to Vienna Maj. Ford would turn over 
his funds to me and report to the Austrian authorities as observer, 
in compliance with War Department orders, and that the relief work 
for Austria and Hungary would be conducted from Vienna. 

Before leaving Budapest I made arrangements with the vice con- 
sul general to advance such funds as were absolutely required by 
individuals in order for them to get to Vienna, and to take evidences 
of credit and receipts in the usual form for advances made. I agreed 
to reimburse him on the receipts and evidences of credit. 

On September 20 I received telegraphic instructions to turn over 
such funds as in my judgment were required to officers of the diplo- 
matic service and transfer the relief work to them. The consul 
general to Hungary was in Vienna at that time on his way to Buda- 
pest, and I transferred to him $3,096.52 for the relief work in Hun- 
gary. As Maj. Ford was in possession of the necessary funds to 
provide for Austria, no funds were transferred by me to the officers 
of the diplomatic service in Vienna. Forms and instructions for 
their use and extract copies of the accounting instructions were left 
with the proper officials. 

On September 21 I left Vienna for Berlin, arriving there on Sep- 
tember 22. There I reported to Maj. Ryan and joined his party. 

Disbursements were as follows: 

Cash advances for relief of Americans $11, 188. 73 

For supplies and services 299. 85 

For reimbursement of expenses (self and assistant) 325.52 

Total 11, 814. 08 

Assistance was rendered as follows : 

Persons receiving financial assistance (approximately) 650 

Persons advised and forwarded at own expense (approximately) 750 

When I left Budapest the vice consul general estimated that there 
were still in Hungary about 100 Americans who desired to return 
to the United States. This would indicate that about 1,350 or 1,400 
persons left Hungary for the United States between August 27 and 
September 16, or, at any rate, that they left Hungary. In addition, 



100 REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

about 100 persons came to Budapest from Eoumania, Turkey, and 
Kussia, and were sent on from that place. 

Of the adults who received assistance financially, 98 per cent or 
more were naturalized. Of the 2 per cent of native-born Americans, 
all but two were colored. By far the greater part of those assisted 
were persons who came originally from Hungary and who had re- 
turned to visit relatives and friends. 

M. A. Cross, 
Captain, Coast Artillery Corps, 

Chief of Party in Hungary. 



APPENDIX H. 



Steamship Lusitania, 

October 3, 1914. 
From : G. Sevier, captain, Coast Artillery Corps. 
To: Assistant Secretary of War. 
Subject: Report in connection with relief work in Italy. 

1. In compliance with your orders, I reported to the ambassador 
at Rome August 24. After a consultation it was decided that officers 
should be assigned to relief work in Rome and Venice for the imme- 
diate disbursing of funds; that I should go and consult with con- 
suls at Florence, Genoa, and Milan, as it was estimated 2,500 Ameri- 
cans were awaiting definite information regarding transportation in 
north Italy. 

2. At Florence and Genoa I found less than 1,000. Consular offi- 
cials at both places well organized and working most efficiently. 

3. The chief difficulty was in securing ships. With the assistance 
of the ambassador in Rome and the consul general at Genoa, three 
Italian lines soon agreed to turn over every possible ship in their 
South American trade for the transportation of Americans home. 
The chief restraint was coal. The Government had directed every 
economy. It was suggested that these ships might come back loaded 
down with coal. This suggestion it is believed had much to do with 
the liberal turnout of transportation that followed. 

4. Ships were overhauled from top to bottom, changes made in 
steerage, and painted inside and out; in fact, the companies did 
everything requested. Definite dates for sailings, plans, details of 
accommodations were published, and a systematic scheme of book- 
ing was undertaken. 

5. Much confusion and annoyance to all resulted from the inde- 
cision on the part of many as to when they really wished to sail. 
One party of eight changed six times; in fact, they were in Genoa 
when I left. Parties in Switzerland were particularly dilatory. 

6. Our chief trouble was getting parties assembled at Florence, 
Como, Milan, and other points started. They wished to delay until 
the last minute. These parties were generally women — many of them 
young girls. 

7. My duties consisted in inspecting ships, helping in the booking, 
gathering in the various parties, placing them in hotels, buying 
tickets, and definitely fixing reservations. It was necessary when in 
Genoa to make a daily trip to the consulate, each booking office, and 
various hotels and docks. 

8. I handled the first ' and second class. Deputy Vice Consul 
Boroghena, who is an Italian, speaking German, French, Polish, 

101 



102 EEPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

and Hungarian, took charge of the third class. He did his work well 
and was of the greatest help to all. 

9. The ships turned out were in as good condition as they could be 
gotten in the time allotted. 

10. The following ships sailed from Genoa after my arrival, car- 
rying with them about 1,500 Americans : 

September 2, Gaserta, 35 first, 114 second. 
September 7, America, 12 first, 114 second, 145 third. 
September 11, Antilles, 242 first. This ship was a private enter- 
prise, but Mr. Lorer allowed me to place several aboard. 

September 12, Due d'Aosta, 51 first, 60 second, 65 third. 
September 15, Stampalia, 12 first, 40 second, 143 third. 
September 17, Due d'Savoia, 10S first, 167 second, 103 third. 
September 19, Tarmena, 35 first, 30 second, 103 third. 

September 21, R. d'ltalia, 20 first. This sailing list had not been checked 
when I left. 

The following ships were scheduled to sail : 

September 30, Verona. 

October 7, Europa. (The Carpethia October 2, but not official.) 

October 10, Due d'Aorussi. 

October 12, Caserta. 

October 17, America. 

October 26, Stampalia. 

October 28, Tomaso d'Savoia. 

11. Before my arrival in Genoa 1,100 Americans had been sent 
home. The Udine Mafalda and other ships had sailed. Ample 
transportation is in sight, if normal conditions obtain in Italy, to 
take care of all who want to return home from that part of the 
world. 

12. After a consultation with the consul general it was agreed 
that, owing to the fact that these ships went out without much 
cargo and might possibly return with none at all, that a charge of 
800 lire first and 406 lire second was not unreasonable. 

13. To Consul General J. E. Jones, Genoa, and Consul F. T. F. 
Dunout, Florence, great credit belongs. Their offices were quickly 
and thoroughly organized, and the Americans who called upon them 
for aid and advice had nothing but enthusiastic praise for them. 

14. While in Genoa I acted in general charge of transportation 
for them, and feel that any other attitude would have impaired the 
efficiency of the plans I found in operation. 

15. While in Genoa about 85 Americans, entirely without funds, 
reported for assistance. Upon the day of my departure approxi- 
mately $10,000 had been disbursed in Genoa and vicinity; $2,000 
at Triest; $1,200 at Eome, and nearly $1,000 at Venice. No reports 
were made to me by the officers at Rome or Venice. 

16. Up to September 20, 4,500 Americans sailed from Italy. 

17. I took with me $49,900 into Italy and turned over to the 
American ambassador at Rome on September 24, $35,000 of Ameri- 
can relief fund. 

18. The orders under which I acted and my report to the ambas- 
sador are hereto attached. 

19. I wish to express nvy appreciation of the manner in which 
Lieuts. C. S. Hoyt and J. G. Quekemeyer, United States Army, did 
their part, especially during the long, tedious trip from Paris to 
Rome. Also my profound thanks and admiration of the French 



REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 103 

officers, soldiers, and railroad people, who, without exception, did 
everything in their power to aid and expedite our journey. 

G. Sevier, 
Captain, Coast Artillery Corps. 



United States Relief Commission, French Party, 

. Paris, France, August 20, 191J\- 
Orders No. 3. 

1. Capt. G. Sevier, Coast Artillery Corps; First Lieut. C. S. Hoyt, Cavalry; 
and First Lieut. J. G. Quekemeyer, Cavalry, are designated as a separate party 
and will proceed to Rome, Italy, for duty in connection with the relief of 
American citizens in that vicinity. 

2. Capt. L. C. Brinton, Coast Artillery Corps, special disbursing agent of the 
French party, will turn over to Capt. G. Sevier, Coast Artillery Corps, who is 
hereby designated special disbursing agent, the sum of $50,000 from the appro- 
priation " Relief of American citizens." 

The travel enjoined is necessary in the public service. 
By direction of the United States special commissioner : 

C. A. Hedekin, 
Major, United States Cavalry; Chief of French Party. 



United States Relief Commission, Italian Party, 

Rome, Italy, August 25, 191J/. 
Orders No. 1. 

1. Upon advice of the American ambassador at Rome, First Lieut. C S. Hoyt, 
Cavalry, is hereby designated to proceed to Venice, Italy, for the purpose of 
attending to the relief of American citizens in that vicinity. He will stop at 
Florence, Italy, and such other places on his route as may be necessary. He 
will return to Rome, Italy, upon the completion of this duty. 

2. Capt. Sevier, Coast Artillery Corps, special disbursing agent of the Italian 
party, will turn over to First Lieut. C. S. Hoyt, Cavalry, the sum of $5,000 
from the appropriation " Relief of American citizens." 

3. The travel enjoined is necessary in the public service. 
By direction of the United States special commissioner: 

G. Sevier, 
Captain, Coast Artillery Corps, Chief of Italian Party. 



United States Relief Commission, Italian Party, 

Rome, Italy, August 26, Wily. 
Orders No. 2. 

1. Upon the advice of the American ambassador, First Lieut. J. G. Queke- 
meyer, Thirteenth Cavalry, is hereby designated special disbursing agent, and 
will take station at Rome, Italy, for duty in connection with the relief of 
American citizens in that vicinity. 

2. Capt. G. Sevier, Coast Artillery Corps, special disbursing agent of the 
Italian party, will turn over to Lieut. J. G. Quekemeyer, Thirteenth Cavalry, 
the sum of $5,000 from the appropriation " Relief of American citizens." 

By direction of the United States special commissioner. 

G. Sevier, 
Captain, Coast Artillery Corps, United States Army, 

Chief of Italian Party. 



United States Relief Commission, Italian Party, 

Rome, Italy, August 26, 1914- 
Orders No. 3. 

1. By direction of the American ambassador at Rome, Capt. G. Sevier, Coast 
Artillery Corps, will proceed to Florence, Milan, Turin, Venice, and Genoa, 
Italy, for duty in connection with the relief of American citizens in north 



104 KEPOET ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

Italy. He will report conditions, after consultation with the United States 
consuls, and make necessary recommendations. 

2. Upon completion of this duty Capt. Sevier will return to Rome, Italy, for 
duty. 

The travel enjoined is necessary in the public service. 

By direction of the United States special commissioner. 

G. Sevier, 
Captain, Coast Artillery Corps, United States Army, 

Chief of Italian Party. 



The American Embassy, 
Rome, September 23, J91j. 
His Excellency, The Honorable Thomas Nelson Page, 

American Ambassador to Italy. 

Sir : In compliance with your orders of August 25 I visited Florence, Genoa, 
and other towns in north Italy, in connection with the American relief work. 

At Florence and Genoa I found the consular officers organized and efficiently 
handling the situation in their respective spheres. The details of this work 
have already reached you through special reports. 

I wish to bring to your excellency's attention the splendid manner in which 
Consul General J. E. Jones, at Genoa, and Consul Frederick T. F. Dumont, at 
Florence, were meeting a most trying problem. 

All Americans who had appealed to them for aid, comfort, and direction 
expressed to me their high appreciation of the unselfish efforts they had given. 

Mrs. Dumont, at Florence, merits particularly the thanks of her American 
compatriots. 

It is my opinion that such Americans as intend to leave Italy in the near 
future can do so without unusual discomfort. 

However, there will be several hundred in north Italy who have no intention 
of leaving. Some of these are people of small means, and in case of war it may 
be necessary for the Government of the United States to render them some 
assistance. 

When I left Genoa August 23 there were arriving from Austria and the 
Balkans, in small parties, naturalized Americans who were, in nearly every 
case, destitute. They report others to come. In view of this, I would respect- 
fully recommend that additional funds be sent to Consul General Jones at 
Genoa, as he will have to provide for these cases. 
I am, sir, your obedient servant, 

G. Sevier, 
Captain, United States Army. 

P. S. — I would suggest that the amount of $5,000 be made immediately avail- 
able for use of Consul General Jones at Genoa. 

I will this day turn over to you a balance of $35,000 relief fund, Americans in 
Europe. 

G. Sevteb. 



American Embassy, 
Rome, September 23, 191k- 
Capt. Granville Sevier, 

United States Army, Rome. 

Sir : As you are leaving Italy immediately under, orders from the War 
Department, I feel it proper and perhaps necessary that I should confirm in 
writing the instructions which you received from me personally at the time 
you went to Florence and Genoa — that is, August 25 — for the purpose of carry- 
ing on more conveniently the relief work for which you were sent to Italy. 

Having been authorized to use my best judgment in directing the movements 
of yourself and companions, Lieuts. Hoyt and Quekemeyer, I felt that the pur- 
pose of your mission could be best served, under the conditions then existing 
in Italy, by sending you to Florence aud Genoa, so that you could visit person- 
ally the adjacent centers, such as Turin, Siena, and Milan, sending at the same 
time Lieut. Hoyt to Vienna and retaining Lieut. Quekemeyer here. 

The services of Capt. Hines, who was passing through Italy in August, had 
already been availed of by me, first in Rome and then in Naples. 



EEPOET ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 105 

Genoa and Naples, being the chief points of embarkation, were, after Rome, 
which was the center of the relief work, the most important points at the 
time for the exercise of relief purposes for which Army officers had been sent 
to Italy, and in respect to transportation matters entailed the most laborious 
work. 

I beg to take this occasion to express to you and, through you, to the other 
officers who accompanied you (and this includes also Capt. Hines) my high- 
sense of the excellent service which you all rendered at the different points to 
which you were sent, and my thanks for the efficient, patient, and wholly 
satisfactory manner in which you performed the duties assigned you. 

I think that the sending of Army officers here to act under the instructions 
of the embassy had in itself a tranquilizing and beneficial effect on the spirits 
of our people then in Italy. 

I am, sir, your obedient servant, 

Thos. Nelson Page. 



APPENDIX I. 



Stockholm, Sweden, 

September 14-, 191 1+. 
From : S. J. Bayard Schindel, captain, General Staff, chief of party. 
To: The Assistant Secretary of War, special commissioner of the 

United States. 
Subject : Eeport of operations of relief party in Norway and Sweden. 

1. The relief party designated to proceed to Christiania in Special 
Orders No. 7, August 20, 1914, left Falmouth at 9.20 p. m. and 
reached London at 8.15 a. m. on the 21st. 

2. The members of the party reported to the American Embassy 
for further particulars and obtained passports for our journey. 
These papers received the vise of the Russian consul general, the 
Swedish consul general, and the Norwegian consul general the same 
day. 

Passage was arranged for, although the steamship lines could not 
give any definite particulars as to our date of sailing for Bergen, 
Norway. Upon being notified on the morning of the 23d that we 
could not get any passage for three days, we requested the embassy 
to ask the steamship line for the earliest passage possible. After the 
embassy had requested this we were able to leave on Saturday even- 
ing from Newcastle for Bergen. 

3. We arrived at Bergen on Monday at 10.30 a. m., and imme- 
diately reported at the American consulate and began to interview 
persons already brought in by Mr. Rassmussen, the American consul. 
He turned over part of his office to us. He had 63 on his list, and we 
were able, by the systematic way in which they were handled by 
him, to book most of them on steamers sailing within a month's time. 
Many had left, and the date of their sailing is noted on the attached 
list. 

The systematic way in which he had handled them left us nothing 
to do but interview them and arrange for their departure. Mr. 
Rassmussen should be written to and commended for his prompt and 
methodical handling of the situation at Bergen. We left Bergen, 
having advanced money to five persons without funds, and advised 
or arranged bookings for 30 more. 

4. The party arrived at Christiania on Saturday evening, the 29th, 
at 10.30 p. m. On the following morning we reported to Mr. 
Schmedemann, the American minister, who explained to us the 
way he had arranged for interviewing the people who had reported 
as being without funds. He turned over his own office to us and 
arranged with banks and steamship companies for any convenience 
we might need. 

5. There are two steamship lines shipping direct to the United 
States, the Scandinavian- American Line and the Norwegian- Amer- 
ican Line. We found these lines booked up to the month of October. 

106 



REPORT ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 107 

This forced us to either send our parties to London or to ship them 
third class direct to America. 

We have therefore forwarded needy Americans, some direct to the 
United States to their homes (principally women with small babies, 
and sick women and children), some to New York City only, and 
some to London to be forwarded by the relief committee there to 
America. 

6. The lists obtained from the Frederick VIII, which sailed 3d 
September, 1914, and our own bookings to England are inclosed 
herewith, marked "A." The Scandinavian- American Line will fur- 
nish us for our information with the names of third-class passengers 
on the Frederick VIII as well as on all the other steamers. They 
will be forwarded when obtained. 

7. We found that fully 150 persons reporting at the legation had 
only first papers. In several cases persons forwarded from Russia 
could not speak English and had voted in from one to three municipal 
elections in New York City, Minnesota, or North Dakota. 

8. All our cash advances have been on sight drafts or promissory 
notes. We have directed all persons having express checks, letters 
of credit, and personal drafts to the local banks, and have not ad- 
vanced money on any one of these three evidences of credit. A 
statement of our financial transactions is attached to this report. 

9. Upon receipt of your instructions we closed up the office tem- 
porarily in Christiania and proceeded September 13 to Stockholm to 
obtain transportation to Petrograd, in accordance with directions of 
the 11th instant. 

Capt. Colvin and Mr. Rhody, who reported September 1, remained 
in Christiania until the 6th, when Capt. Colvin was sent to Stockholm 
to clear up the situation, which was rather confusing to handle. 

There are about 300 inquiries on file, most of these dated August 1. 

10. In accordance with our experience in Christiania we should get 
in about 50 of the 300, as the majority have left for the United States. 
Mr. Rhody is in charge of the Christiania office, booking people 
already interviewed and taking the names of those reporting during 
our absence from that city. 

11. Mr. Wilson, charge at Petrograd, has to-day reported that by 
the end of the week he estimates that all Americans will have left 
Russia, except possibly a few, whose citizenship is in doubt, in distant 
towns. 

On account of these altered conditions and for economical reasons 
I therefore sent you this information, as the amount to be expended 
in travel and expenses does not seem to be commensurate with the 
relief to be extended. 

I shall, however, leave on the 16th if you have not by that time 
changed your instructions. 

12. We should be able to clear up these countries by the last of 
the month or the first week in October at the latest. 

I shall report by wire when it appears that there is no further need 
for a relief party in Scandinavian countries, as the ratio of the 
amount expended for travel and daily expenses to amount expended 
for relief will rise rapidly as the amount expended for relief 
decreases. 

S. J. Bayard Schindel, 
Captain, General Staff, Chief of Party. 



108 report on relief op american citizens in europe. 

War Department, 
Office of the Chief of Staff, 

Washington, October 1^ 191Jf. 
From : Capt. S. J. B. Schindel, General Staff. 

To : The honorable the Assistant Secretary of War, special commis- 
sioner of the United States. 
Subject: Supplementary report on operations of the party of the 
American relief expedition in Sweden, Norway, and Russia. 

1. Pursuant to your cabled instructions, I left by steamer from 
Stockholm for Eaumo, in Finland, on September 15, 1914, arriving 
in Eaumo on the afternoon of the 16th. Here we took the train for 
Petrograd early Friday morning. 

2. Upon the recommendation of the Eussian minister in Stockholm, 
Baron von Eosen, I decided to take Lieut. Phipps with me to Eussia, 
as the minister believed it would be better for two people to travel 
together with the money than to send it in charge of one man. 

3. The Eussian minister also gave me a letter to present to all mili- 
tary and police officials, which enabled me to reach Petrograd on the 
18th without any interference by the customs, police, or mili- 
tary authorities. On my arrival I reported to Mr. Charles S. Wilson, 
charge d'affaires in Eussia, who gave me the particulars and details 
of the work of collecting destitute Americans and forwarding them 
to Stockholm. 

4. The methods employed were very thorough, consisting in calling 
on the consuls for reports as to the number and whereabouts of all 
destitute Americans in their consular district. These persons were 
then sent to Petrograd, provided their citizenship was found to be 
correct. This furnished a steady flow of these persons to Petrograd, 
telegraphic instructions having been sent to Mr. Wilson in advance, 
and they were forwarded to Stockholm by railroad and steamer to 
our committee in that city. Hotels with the best accommodations for 
the money allowed were used as lodging places for these refugees. 

5. Mr. Wilson's work was most thorough in every respect; in fact 
Eussia was free of destitute Americans as early as the 22d of the 
month. This is very much to Mr. Wilson's credit, and some recogni- 
tion should be given him for the results obtained. 

6. A request was made to enter the war zone at Warsaw, but this 
was refused, and the foreign office, as well as the war office, stated 
that they could not permit any foreigners to enter the war zone. The 
allied forces had agreed not to permit any military officials in the war 
zone, unless they were members of one of the allied forces. We re- 
mained in Petrograd until the night of the 20th, when we left for 
Stockholm by the same route by which we came. 

Mr. Wilson stated that he did not desire any money, and that he 
had plenty of funds on hand to carry on the work of assisting needy 
Americans. At that time he was unable to state the exact number of 
Americans remaining, but so far as he could learn they were very few 
in number, probably 8 or 10, and these in remote districts. 

7. We reached Stockholm on the 22d, and there I received a tele- 
gram to report to you in London in order to sail on the Tennessee by 
October 1, and also instructions to turn over such funds as thought 
proper to the consular and diplomatic representatives in Sweden 
and Norway. 



EEPOET ON RELIEF OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 109 

Sixty-five hundred dollars were turned over to the consul general, 
Ernest L. Harris, of Sweden. He had been of great assistance to us 
when we first opened the office in Stockholm and had cooperated with 
us in every way, and it was therefore thought that in view of his 
knowledge of the situation as well as his energy and interest in the 
matter of relief work, the funds should be turned over to him rather 
than to the legation, which was apparently pretty well involved in 
work connected with other matters. 

Mr. Harris was of great benefit to us, and I can not let this time 
go by without mentioning his name as being of immense assistance to 
our party. 

I ordered Lieut. Phipps to proceed that afternoon to Christiania in 
order to close our office and instruct Mr. Schmedemann in the meth- 
ods of accounting and of handling the funds connected with the relief 
expedition, as well as to clear up any cases which were still awaiting 
action when we left for Russia. 

I returned on the 23d, bringing with me Capt. Colvin, who had 
closed his office in Stockholm. At the date of his departure the num- 
ber of persons reporting for assistance averaged about three per diem, 
and it was reported that there were still a few in the districts some 
distance from Stockholm who would be in the city in the course of 
the next two or three weeks. 

8. Two thousand dollars were left with Mr. Schmedemann, and he 
took over the relief work on the 24th. Whatever success the party 
has had in Norway is largely due to the systematic way in which all 
information had been prepared by him before our arrival and in the 
whole-hearted manner in which the party was received and assisted 
both by him and by all other members of his office force. We called 
on them at any time during the day or night for their assistance in 
getting information, and for other things, and it was alwavs given in 
a most cheerful manner. Many times not only the secretary of the 
legation, but all other members of the force, offered their services to 
assist members of the party in obtaining steamship tickets, taking 
parties down to the wharf to embark on steamships about to sail. 

9. We left on the night of the 24th for Bergen, arriving there at 
10.30 the following morning. We proceeded immediately to the 
American consulate, and after interviewing Mr. Easmusen turned 
over $500 to him to meet the needs of about 10 Americans still need- 
ing passage to the States. Mr. Easmusen had already ascertained 
the needs of these people, and had obtained bookings for steamers 
sailing the early part of October. 

10. We left on the steamship Ragnvdld Jarl for Newcastle at 
1 in the afternoon of the 25th. On the morning of the 26th, about 
12 o'clock, the steamer was stopped by two English torpedo boats 
and a cruiser, who sent a boarding party on the vessel to examine the 
cargo and look over the effects of all passengers on board. They 
requested us to furnish the key to the safe so that they could examine 
the contents, but this I refused to do, stating that it was Government 
property, and that nobody could see into the interior of the chest, 
except under protest. The British officer apologized and stated that 
he did not understand at first who we were, and that he would not ask 
anything further in regard to our effects, either personal or Govern- 
ment, This delay of about an hour and a half caused us to arrive in 



110 REPORT ON RELIEF OE AMERICAN CITIZENS IN EUROPE. 

Newcastle between four and five hours late. We were therefore com- 
pelled to remain in Newcastle until late that night. Our party ar- 
rived in London early on the morning of the 28th, and at 10 o'clock 
I reported at the American Embassy for further instructions. 

11. All funds remaining on hand were turned in and all accounts 
gone over by the Treasury representative, Mr. Wilmeth, and the 
formal turnover of the balance on hand was accomplished. 

12. Two hundred and seventy destitutes from Norway and Sweden 
were aided by the party. This, of course, includes those who were 
forwarded from Russia to Stockholm. About 3,000 were assisted in 
one way or another, either by advice or the selection of a hotel for 
them or by obtaining bookings on the steamship lines for definite 
dates, or giving them any other advice that might seem to be neces- 
sary. The average overhead charge per capita of handling destitute 
Americans was between five and six dollars. Considering the dis- 
tance traveled, the increase in the money value of passage both on the 
railroads and steamship lines, these overhead charges are not exces- 
sive, because they not only include passage to the Atlantic coast, but 
in the majority of cases also include the railroad travel to their homes 
in the farther West of the United States. We were not put to any 
expense in the way of hiring either clerks or offices or messengers. 
In Stockholm we made use of a retired hospital sergeant, Frank P. 
Lyons, who was residing in Stockholm and who offered his services 
to us. 

13. I desire to express myself at this time in regard to the work 
done by Capt. William M. Colvin, Coast Artillery Corps, and Lieut. 
Frank H. Phipps, Jr., Coast Artillery Corps. Our success in Scan- 
dinavia is largely due to the efficient, hard-working, and painstaking 
methods employed by both of these officers, and I always received 
loyal and efficient cooperation on the part of both of them. The 
party was broken up on your instructions given in London on the 
28th of September, and our movements from that time on were those 
of the entire party. 

S. J. Bayard Schindel, 

Captain, General Staff, 
Chief of party, Sweden, Norway, Russia. 

o 



ulrS^X 0F CONGRESS 



020 953 141 



